The 100 Best Songs of 2023

This was the year South Africa’s best feel-good hits went global. Tyla became the country’s biggest breakout star of the year: Her viral amapiano-infused hit “Water” thrust the singer-songwriter into the spotlight and made her the first South African artist in decades to enter the Billboard Top 100. Amapiano’s log-drum-driven beats continued to take over as Tyler ICU and Tumelo.za's “Mnike” kept dance floors buzzing, and Uncle Waffles (“Solace”) hit the decks at Coachella. Closer to home, hip-hop’s 50th anniversary coincided with monumental releases from two of South Africa’s most prolific MCs, Nasty C (“Endless”) and Cassper Nyovest (“018”). The year also saw the tragic passing of rapper AKA (“Company”), whose final album MASS COUNTRY serves as a love letter to all things Mzansi. Vulnerability also took centre stage, from the introspective Afro-folk tunes of Bongeziwe Mabandla (“ukuthanda wena”) to Will Linley’s slice-of-life pop (“Magic”). Explore South Africa's best home-grown hits along with upbeat global anthems that defined the year.