| "Amapiano" | ||||
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| Single byAsake andOlamide | ||||
| from the albumWork of Art | ||||
| Language |
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| Released | 24 May 2023 | |||
| Genre | Afrofusion | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | YBNL Nation | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Magicsticks | |||
| Asake singles chronology | ||||
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| Olamide singles chronology | ||||
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"Amapiano" is a song by Nigerian musicianAsake and Nigerian rapperOlamide. The song is a single from Asake's second studio album,Work of Art, and was produced by Nigerian producerMagicsticks. The music video, shot by Jyde Ajala, was released on 24 May 2023.[1] The song was a surprise release and gained over 100,000 streams within less than 24 hours of its release and debuted at number one of the Spotify Top Songs Nigeria Daily Chart.[2] The song was nominated forBest African Music Performance at the66th Grammy awards.[3] It was one of the most streamed songs of 2023 onAudiomack, garnering 87.7 million streams on the platform.[4] Former US presidentBarack Obama listed the song among his favorite music of 2023.[5]
The song paid homage toamapiano, by incorporating reinterpretedlog drum elements commonly used in or associated with the South African genre and other African musical styles, in that year.[6][7][8]
The song is described as "easy listen that evokes feelings of happiness and overall summer vibes".[9] Collins Badewa of Style Rave describes the song as "an infectious blend of energetic beats, vibrant melodies, and catchy hooks".[10] Additionally, it is noted for incorporating elements fromhip hop, amapiano,Afrobeats,deep house, and a neo-fuji aesthetic, resulting in a distinctive rhythmic energy.[11][12] Douglas Markowitz ofGrammy Awards wrote that while the song pays homage to the amapiano genre, it rearranges some elements such as the iconic log drum.[8] The fusion song predominantly features numerous genre elements, in acrossover style, resulting in a track that is primarilyAfro-fusion. The lyrics are primarily inYoruba language andpidgin and bits of English.[6][7][13]
Dennis Ade Peter ofOkayAfrica wrote,
All the bells and whistles of an Asake song are present, a maximalist canvas that includes warm piano keys, gorgeously droning violin, interpolated organ notes, log drums that mimic the staggering groove of Omele drums, and a bevy of stacked vocals in call-and-response mode. If anyone needs the clearest vision of what 'piano-inflected neo-Fuji' is, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one than "Amapiano".[14]
The Africa Report listed "Amapiano" as one of the top music hits of 2023.[15]