A notable name in South Africa’s new wave of artists propelling the continent’s music forward, Manu WorldStar is an omnivorous listener. Opening with his 2020 hit “Choko,” his Africa Month playlist traces through a web of Mzansi and Naija’s contemporary popular music scenes. “This playlist is what I define as the ‘new Africa’—the vibrant Africa, the unstoppable Africa,” Manu WorldStar tells Apple Music. His own work is a product of his influences—Afrobeats and Afro-fusion icons such as Burna Boy and Wizkid, along with Afropop and R&B contemporaries Rowlene, Rema, Tekno, and Tems. “These sounds have not just inspired me, but have also built me into the artist that I am today.”