Best Amapiano Album??

Amapiano has been with us for quite a long time now. When it started everyone thought it will fade away in no time. It may seem like a few months ago when we were bumping to gong gong (iskhathi), but it’s been 5years and Amapiano is here to stay.

Many albums have been released during this time. Some of them really deserve a Grammy award. I believe it’s not going to be long until we see an Amapiano song or album take the Grammy. Amapiano has given us gems in the past. Scorpion Kings, Isiphithiphithi, Deepest Gratitude, Ivy League, Auti ‘eSharp just to mention a few. 2022 saw the release of more rounded albums like Ba Straata, Amukelani, and Welcome to the Party, just to mention a few.

In all my time listening to this genre, so far one album has rose above the rest, a musical masterpiece! It’s been more than 8 months and I still can’t get enough of this album. It gets better with each day and my favorite song in the album keeps changing all the time. Am talking about Kabza De Small’s perfect assembly. KOA II Part 1. One thing we can’t deny is that there is something special about this KOA II. Kabza De Small has established his sound and is only set on improving it.

So today we are gathered here to discuss this question above. Is this the best-ever Amapiano album? I find myself self asking this question a lot. In an interview with Spotify Kabza mentioned he had 81 songs to choose from. Only 18 of those made it to the Album.

From the album title he really has made the statement. We will never talk about Amapiano and not mention him. The growth is amazing as he continues to find himself in his musical journey. The Album cover sets the tone of the album through its spiritual presence.

Okay, am not on a quest to tell you that this is the best album ever but however, but grab your headset or speaker and let me take you through the album. I’ll let you be the judge.

1- Khusela

Msaki is a genius. Kabza De Small and Msaki definitely know how to arouse our emotions. I love how we already know what type of song it is when we see the title and features of the song. The song commenced the album at a slow pace and a laid-back way with its spiritual sound. The instrumental and the vocals form a harmonious relationship that has a pleasant scent to the ears. An adequately assembled beat that is designed in a way that the vocals are amplified by making them the focal point of the song. Even the melodious parts of the song that don’t have vocals feel like they have vocals. Msaki’s voice! Msaki’s Voice! It sounds like a better tomorrow. It smells like hope. Tastes like a prayer to God 🥺. Khusela. Audiogasm Scale -9

2- Ingabe

Probably this is the song that finally made me write this article. I have been playing it a lot lately. It rides on the wave of Khusela. The song is scented with hints of Jazz and you will definitely feel the touch of heaven on it. The “sax” creates a bright and bold color in the song that can illuminate the dark all night long. Spartz lets her voice serenade us with a soft piercing flavor. The amount of hope that’s in the lyrics is tangible. The song has a warm big hug that delivers resilience and tenacity. Ingabe siyofika na🤍. Audiogasm Scale- 9

3- Eningi

Arguably the best song in the album. It’s all because it’s a hustler’s anthem and who doesn’t love one? The song was leaked at the beginning of 2022 and was titled “ama meter.” Collaboration is a God-designed one. Njelic, Mhaw Keys, and Simmy. We all know how much emotion each of them can breathe into a song. Simmy’s bridge and harmonies in the song weave a tide that takes us to the skies with her magical voice. The song puts on a dynamic range with a percussive baseline and subtle elements making the song a rich textured one. Magical. Inhlung’ zphele, ngjabulis umnden wam ❤️. Audiogasm Scale- 8

4- Ubumnandi

This is my best song in the album. Nia Pearl’s vocals on this song have a nostalgic vibe. There’s something about this, that makes it sound like an ode to the Legendary Lebo Mathosa. Nia Pearl’s voice interpolates a glow into the song that makes it shine bright with musicality. You can smell MDU aka TRP on the song before you even see that he’s there on the song. The song has a simple harmonic structure. The log drum in the song is finessed with precision and prowess. It controls the entire essence of the song. There is a layer of a hum in the beat that is vivid to the ears…. I can talk about this song the whole day. It’s a gem! Sithand’ ubumnandi💃. Audiogasm Scale- 10 🙂

5- Xola

Asfunde khon amaphutha, asbambisane sthembisane. This a flawless verse by Young Stunna, who is proving to be very pivotal in the Amapiano scenes. Everything he touches turns into gold. He gave us a soulful verse on this work of art. The chord progression of the song is subliminal. The instrumental is sculpted with brilliance. The vocals sit perfectly as they are the main drivers of mood. Nobuhle and Ze2 nailed their parts too. They made us really feel what they were filling our hearts with. Even those of us that didn’t do anything wrong, we asked for forgiveness. I don’t know how Kabza does his scouting for collaborations but, that’s what is making this album, to be a classic. The amount of talent in this record is amazing. Sinikiw’ eliny’ ithuba 🙏🏾. Audiogasm Scale- 9

6- Sondela

There’s something about Ami Faku. She’s perfect for Amapiano. Kabza De Small knows how to paint a beat specifically for her. Ami knows how to make the songs palatable for us. With a singable and uplifting melody, it’s easy for our hearts to fall in love with this song. Imagine this song as your “first dance” song, perfect right? Mhaw Keys and Kabza fused Afro-soul and Amapiano into one on the production. An endlessly playable rhythm of love. Ngikubonis’ uthand’ olwegcwele! 🥺 Audiogasm Scale- 8

7- Bathini

Once again Young Stunna is in the spotlight with this one. The conviction in his delivery is a standard all artists should aim to hit all the time. The album has turned up the vibe a little bit and most of the middle songs are tunes for the dance floor. Kabza teams with the duo Artwork Sounds (George Lesley and Soultronixx) on this jam. The kicks on the song make it as if it has a higher BPM than the other songs but it’s just 113 BPM. It’s a fast-paced song for the dance floor. Did I mention Young Stunna’s conviction in the song? Ngfika ngibajulukise🥵. Audiogasm Scale- 8

8- Azkhale

While we are still on that dance floor vibe. Another song riding on the same wave with Bathini. Talk of a vibey song that makes it difficult for you to sit still while it plays. The invigorating kicks in the songs spur you on to keep dancing. It’s really difficult to sense it’s a love song but it is a really happy vibey love song. Daliwonga was on the bag with this one! Azkhale manjena! Audiogasm Scale- 7

9- Isoka

Nkosazana Daughter has this voice that has the color of love. Her voice is the type that can make flowers bloom. She is amazingly talented. Who better to compliment her than Murumba Pitch. With a stern voice of assurance, they create a great love duet. They exposed us to their hearts’ postures in the song. Can someone confirm that I am not the only one that thinks that the kicks in the song sound like heartbeats? Ngab’ uyangthanda na💞. Audiogasm Scale- 8

10- Ngyamthanda

Something happens when you mix Amapiano with love! Amapiano love songs are too good, they speak to the soul. This song has a mellow temperature and a vibrant one at the same time, just like love. It also has a sense of familiarity with it. It sounds as if you have heard the song before and I’ll probably credit that to the “yoh yoh yohyoh” chant. Every artist that Kabza De Small fused together in this album was a great flux. Nicole Elocin and Phila Dlozi were on the same page with this song. People should pay attention to the name Da Muziqal Chef! Everything that has his prints is of high class. Audiogasm Scale- 8

11- Rekere 2

This could be one of the most impactful songs on the album. It even had a TikTok challenge which was great. Kabza has been doing a Rekere series and it probably is the best thing to happen to Amapiano A mixtape with only just Rekere songs won’t really hurt😎. Rekere is a type of Amapiano that is infused with the Pretoria sound. When I mention Pretoria sound most people would think of Barcardi with its loud snares and hi-hats but this one is more molded and well-rounded. One thing about Rekere, it ratchets music solely made for people to lose their morals. I have heard other people call it Nkwari but it’s still the same sound. This song has a compelling whistle on it and has samples of vocals done by Kabza. It’s really a song for the groove. Audiogasm Scale- 9

12- Mutserendende

If you enjoyed Rumble in the jungle, then this song is for you. The acoustic guitar on the song is a reminisce of the late Oliver Mtukudzi who also happened to have a song called Mutserendende. One thing about this song, not just this song but the whole album, is the ability of Kabza to blend all these different artists and actually make it work is genius for me. This song sees Mr. Brown, Jon Delinger and Da Muziqal Chef blend to give us a really divine tune. Audiogasm Scale- 8

13- Skeem Saam

A happy song with a bright sound. All elements of the song are yellow. We can all agree that we need an Ami Faku album with the Scorpion Kings. The way they are on the same wavelength musically is magnificent. All of the songs they have done together are world-class. It’s a match made in heaven. The strings on this song really bind up all the goodness in this track. Audiogasm Scale- 8

14- Bawo

When Kabza was asked the difference between KOA and KOA ii pt1, he said KOA ii is “spiritual.” In terms of spirituality, it can’t get more spiritual than this song here. Whoever imagined we will hear Yallunder’s vocals on an Amapiano song. She took the central stage with Nobuhle on this somber and gloomy tune. This song is pregnant with spiritual emotions paired with melancholic feelings. I’ve asked people to listen to this song and try and interpret what it says, the answers are always different. The only thing that remains constant is the spirituality of the song. Oh Bawo baxolele !😫 Audiogasm Scale- 9

15- Khuluma imali

What Madumane and Toss did on this song is the equivalent of JayZ and Kanye’s Otis. The pick-and-drop flows they were doing are out of this world. The log drum in this song is a dark one, and am sure it’s because Felo le Tee is on the song. His log drum is a really thick one and it fills up the whole song. This song adds to the completeness of the album. It has all types of sounds in terms of Amapiano. Audiogasm Scale- 7

16- Bayesaba

The song starts with a bit of shakers which serve us with Sgija vibes. Daliwonga takes the center stage on this one with Young Stunna and Madumane . I don’t know how many times I have mentioned this in this article but it’s the collaborations that are making this album to be a classic! Audiogasm Scale- 7

17- Mshini

This song sees heavyweights in the industry come together to create magic. Whenever Lady Du is involved, you know we are about to party. Kwesta put on his A game with massive punchlines and later on has an album with Kabza. If you don’t stand up and dance when this song comes on 🌚. Audiogasm Scale- 7

18- Liyangishonela

This album is a journey, and what better way to end the album than with a track called “Liyangishonela,” the sun is setting. A very spiritual song led by the amazing Nobuhle with her spiritual groanings and lamentations. She understood the concept of stargazing, how only the stars know what is deep inside our hearts. Even if we don’t have the strength, we are standing on prayer. The instrumental was made in a way that it is able to carry this voice. Carry the message, and soar high with it. Ndiza 😭. Audiogasm Scale- 9

Well, if you have made it this far while reading, it really shows how special this album is. It has every vibe and I am thankful to have got the chance to listen to it. This album ruined my Spotify-wrapped as 4 of my top 5 songs were from this album. I hope you get the time to indulge in it and let it speak to you. It may not necessarily be the best but it’s definitely up there in the skies!

For those that are asking themselves what the Audiogasm Scale is, please enlighten yourself here 🫠.

Stay tuned for more stuff to come from this blog right here. A share would be great, and please buy me a cup of coffee here 🙂. I got a few requests last time and I am working on them 🙏🏾. Let’s stay in touch.

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