Featuring collaborations with some of the genre’s most prolific artists—including Master KG, Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa and Lowsheen—Nkosazana Daughter’s debut album showcases her full range by incorporating Afropop, R&B and traditional African elements into her soulful iteration of amapiano. “In this instance, ‘uthingo’ means ‘rainbow’,” South African vocalist and songwriter Nkosazana tells Apple Music. “I wanted the album to be like a rainbow—colourful and full of everything. I fell in love with amapiano, but I’m an artist that does it all.” Touching on themes such as romance, destiny, spirituality and dream-chasing, the Durbanite applies the same uninhibited approach to her songwriting. “The energy was so pure,” she says, “with the emotions and feelings. I think I’m a lover, so it’s love put in different ways.” Here, she talks us through the album, track by track. “Amaphutha” (feat. Murumba Pitch, Master KG & Lowsheen) “‘Amaphutha’ is a love song that talks about how, even if you see the faults in them, you still love someone. You’re like, ‘I don’t care what the people say and I don’t care what’s happening—I want you.’ You’re just blinded by love. Master KG is so easy to work with and he always says, ‘Give me something from your heart—if you don’t feel it within, then don’t do it.’” “Ngeke” (feat. Sir Trill & Murumba Pitch) “This is a love song saying, ‘I’m never gonna leave you.’ I have so many songs with Murumba and I can literally leave a song and know Murumba will finish it. We’ve always had that connection, and whenever we work together something amazing comes out of it.” “Ring Ring Ring” (feat. Murumba Pitch, Master KG & Lowsheen) “‘Amaphutha’ and ‘Ring Ring Ring’ were made on the same day. On ‘Amaphutha’ I say I don't care about your faults, but the twist here is I’m calling, and you’re not answering the phone. If you’re not communicating with me, I’m thinking, ‘OK, you’re somewhere else. If you’re saying it’s over, then that’s fine!’” “Uzongenzani” (feat. Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa) “Very spiritual. It talks about how I have my ancestors and God looking over me. That means nobody can do a thing to me. My mother is a traditional healer and my father’s a Christian. I grew up between these two people who always taught me that God is very important. It’s been part of me forever and something I was taught to respect all the time.” “Empinikazi” (feat. Kabza De Small) “So here I’m talking about how I’m at war and I’m telling God and my ancestors to fight for me. So if you want to fight me, I’m just gonna look at you, ’cause I’m not in the battle you think I’m in—you’re fighting greater powers! Kabza thought he had something and called me to studio. He was like, ‘Try something like this,’ but I was like, ‘No, you’re gonna sing it and we’ll merge our energies.’ We did it and it made so much sense.” “Buqamama Eduze” (feat. Mashudu & Kabza De Small) “My mother thought I would grow up to be that, but it turned out like this. It’s not going to benefit them thinking what I was supposed to be instead of letting me be who I wanted to [be], so on this song I’m saying to my mother, ‘I’m not too far from my success.’” “Valentines” (feat. Kabza De Small) “I’m telling this person, ‘You’re giving other women flowers and this and that. Why don’t you make me your valentine, ’cause I want to know what it feels like too?’ Some people are just not romantic and that’s bad, ’cause I want every day to be Valentine’s.” “Chronicles of Love” (feat. Chronical Deep & Kabza De Small) “Here, I’m searching for love. But while I was longing for your love and wanting you to love me, I lost myself. I feel like I’m losing myself because the only love I value is yours.” “Amazinyo Endoda” (feat. ThackzinDJ & Lowsheen) “This is from a saying: ‘Kwanyama ayipheli, kuphela amazinyo endoda’ (‘You'll run out of teeth before we run out of meat’). All the work is in Joburg and everyone goes there because we also want a piece of it. Everyone is looking for their piece of success. This is me saying, ‘I’m in Joburg. I’m here to hustle, and I’m gonna hustle.’” “Sibe Moja” (feat. Major League DJz & LuuDadeejay) “I want a soft life and I want to be happy. I want my family to be happy too. I just want to be good.” “Come Closer” (feat. Makhadzi & Master KG) “This is a happy song saying, ‘I always need you here with me, so don’t you ever leave me.’ Makhadzi is a big artist and I didn’t want to mess this up. She was easygoing and it was just flowing. We found a way to work together and literally just had fun. I wanted to work with different people to express the rainbow, so this was very intentional.” “Cishe Nga Catcher” (feat. DJ Givy Baby) “[The theme here is] ‘I almost caught feelings, but you’re playing with me. I thought this was real, but I see you!’ I almost caught feelings only to find out he was not the one.” “In Love With a Foreigner” (feat. Young Jonn) “I’d been talking to [Nigerian artist and producer] Young Jonn and he used to send me beats. Then we met in Nigeria when I’d gone for the Soundcity Awards. We made a whole lotta songs but ‘In Love With a Foreigner’ wasn’t made on that day. I came home, sent him another beat, and that’s how the song was made. He sent me back the beat with his vocals, and I loved the vibe! [Afrobeats and amapiano] are showing what Africa is about and [that] makes me so happy. They represent us so well and I think that we should work together more often.”