Sampa the Great is currently gearing up to release her second studio album, As Above, So Below, in September. The Zambian-Motswana rapper and two-time winner of the Australian Music Prize (for her Birds and the Bee9 mixtape and debut album The Return) has previewed the album with the Denzel Curry-featuring ‘Lane’ and the Zamrock-inspired ‘Never Forget’.
Today, Sampa Tembo has shared another single, the punchy, triumphant ‘Bona’. Produced by Zambia’s Mag44 with co-production from Tembo (her first producer credit), the new track opens with glistening keys before pivoting to rapid-fire bars over a frenetic, warbling sub-bass.
Watch Travys Owen’s Video for Sampa the Great’s ‘Bona’
“I haven’t yet shown the influence Botswana has had on me musically; this is the style, language and swag of Batswana youth,” Sampa the Great said of the new song in a statement. “‘Bona’ is a chance for me to shine light on other elements of music that I was influenced by when growing up, outside of Zambian music. I want to bring a Southern African anthem to the mix and DJ desks, and show that not all music coming out of Africa is Afrobeats.”
As Above, So Below – which is set to arrive on Friday, 9th September via Loma Vista – began properly coming together after Tembo relocated to Zambia amid the pandemic, reconnecting in the process. She returned to Australia earlier this year to bring her An Afro Future show to Sydney and Melbourne, and also dazzled crowds in the UK at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
Further reading
Sampa The Great Announces New Album ‘As Above, So Below’, Shares New Single
Watch Sampa The Great’s Stunning ‘Tiny Desk’ Performance
Listen To KYE’s New Collab With Sampa The Great, ‘Gold’
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