10 South African R&B Artists To Look Out For In 2023

As South African R&B continues to grow in the country, we shine the spotlight on 10 SA R&B artists to keep an eye out for this year. 

NB: This list is no particular order.  

Ben September

Ben September scored some major features last year, from Flvme to Prince Kaybee which speaks to his versatility as a vocalist and songwriter. He also teamed up with Tyler ICU, Kly and SiBi last year for his own single titled ‘Right Now’. towards the end of 2022, he promised fans an EP titled ‘Waves Vol. 1’ which is executive-produced by FLVME. The project never came out, and fans are still waiting in anticipation. Hopefully 2023 is the year the project sees the light of day and takes his career to the next level.

Asaiowé

Asaiowé’s 2022 EP ‘Letters to Soulmates’ showed a singer with old school R&B sensibilities as her voice is strong on its own and doesn’t lean too heavily on beats. Which is not to say she doesn’t have an ear for beats; her vocals on ‘Letters to Soulmates’ are accompanied by minimal airy production as she explores love and heartbreak in her spacious modal register voice.

Oxii Moron

Oxii Moron blew fans away with his project ‘Post-Love Clarity’ where he struck a good balance between singing and rapping. In the EP, he traced his past relationship experiences and spoke about the growth they have contributed to his life. Oxii Moron is here to conquer the music space with impeccable storytelling, potent song-writing and impressive song-making abilities. We can’t wait to see what he has to offer this year.

Nayma Rias

Last year, Nayma Rias released the EP ‘Red’ which served as her first drop since 2020 and it took off where her introductory ‘Get To Know Me’ EP left off; she sang sensually about love, grief and heartbreak with effortless chest voice that makes for an effectively natural and conversational approach which enhances her expression.

Fentse.

Fentse. and producer Mark Akol dropped the collaborative single ‘Potion No.9’ las year. The upbeat R&B single evoked numerous feelings from happiness to joy and feeling free,  which is what her music will make you feel entirely. Her wordplay is impressive and she knows how to blend her voice with any sound whether it be a fast trap beat or slow and smooth R&B.

Mikhale Jones

Mikhale Jones released ‘Say My Name’ with Ricky Tyler which was reminiscent of early 2000s pop. She may not have released anything else last year, but her vocal talent is so convincing, one can’t help but anticipate how impactful her releases will be in 2023.

Gemma Fassie

Emerging singer-songwriter, Gemma Fassie intends to take her family surname to new heights as the rising star, who is also the niece of legendary music icon, Brenda Fassie, makes her breakthrough in the R&B scene with accomplishments such as receiving a co-sign from Black Coffee after her cover of ‘Officially Missing You’ by Tamia went viral. She has made appearances on multiple SA talk shows and radio including Expresso, Cape Talk and more, after the release of her single, ‘No Drama’ in 2022.

Bono Paige

R&B/Soul singer-songwriter Bono Paige released her project, ‘Caution Tape’ in October last year which includes some fan-favourite singles including ‘Should’ve Known’, ‘Lose Myself’ and more. Bono Paige boldly entered the music scene with her soulful debut offering ‘Not That Guy’ and has since captured the hearts of many with her euphonious records. One can’t help but look forward to what this talented songstress has in store for us this year.

Uunathi

Uunathi has captured the hearts of many with her airy and calming vocals in a few snippets that she shared on socials to a hungry fanbase who engaged with her posts. She hit the ground running in 2023, as she teased unreleased music on her socials, captioning it “new year, new heartbreak music”, and the engagement was impressive. With her last single, ‘Late Night Drives’, being from 2021, fans can’t wait for her to release those songs she shared as snippets officially.

ZRi.

in a climate where most singers (and rappers) use auto-tuned and all sorts of fancy filters on their vocals to make them sound refined, ZRi. stands out as his vocals are raw and free of any enhancements as heard on his 2022 project ‘Evergreen’ which was one of many releases of his, as ZRi. has been consistently dropping singles and EPs in the last two to three years. He has already dropped a single in 2023, ‘Kubrick Dreams’... there’s no questioning his work ethic, ZRi. stands a good chance of dominating the game this year.