The Needle / South Africa - Emerging

"The Needle / South Africa - Emerging" is a wide-ranging mix that highlights fresh talent and rising sounds from the South African music scene and beyond. This playlist blends everything from soulful R&B and moody alt-pop to bass-heavy hip-hop and amapiano grooves. Tracks like “Brother” by Djy'Tumie and Ta'Melo and “Wadibusa uncle waffles” by DJ KERV bring South African flavors to the forefront, sitting next to global voices like TOBi & Mick Jenkins on “Forgot We Were Seeds” and Casey Baer & Caleb Hearn on “never have i ever.”

The mix leans into raw emotion and experimental energy, evident in tracks like “i was cruel - demo take” by Rowan Drake and “SCHEMING” by MGEE. Elsewhere, genre blends take shape with the Jersey Club bounce of “Bop Anthem” and techno-infused “I Like the Way You Kiss Me.” Emerging artists use this space to stretch out creatively—highlighted by chill melodies from HONEYMOAN, lyrical introspection from Kane Keid, and electronically-tinged textures from Hotel Pools and Øneheart. It's an unpredictable playlist that showcases inventive new voices, grounded by a global but distinctly Southern African edge.