![]() ![]() With each version donning different hairstyles and adorned with varying outfits, the four looks range from goth to exotic dancer, representing the album’s musical range, Sanelly’s own limitlessness as a creative person, and some of the people her music always speaks to and advocates for.įor his first solo project in nearly a decade, ‘Arrested by Love’, Nigerian rap-fusion artist Teezee exudes uncontrollable joy, evidently borne from an assurance in himself as a pioneer, community leader, talented creative and, perhaps most importantly, father. All of that is represented on its cover, an assembly of four different versions of Sanelly. On her best project yet, Sanelly is vulnerable and ultra-confident, vivacious and reflective, asserting her person across multiple scenarios in certain terms and continuing to show herself as an irreverent advocate for African women to be who and what they want to be. Midway through the year, South African dance-fusion singer and rapper Moonchild Sanelly shared her splendid sophomore album, ‘Phases’. From the earth-tone grading and Sampa’s Lotus Position to the Ethereal atmosphere and the CGI-like composure, the entire cover is the perfect accompanying piece to the music, a self-reconnecting journey that, according to Pitchfork ’s Stephen Kearse, “folds together zamrock, polyrhythmic percussion, and choral harmonies.” It’s clear that a lot of thought was put into creating this cover and that same attention to detail is littered all over the album. I don’t think any Album cover from this year better embodied the captivating nature of these features as Sampa The Great’s ‘As Above, So Below’. When looking at album covers or art pieces in general, my eyes are immediately attracted to proper composition, otherworldly lighting and smooth textures. She shared that the bright colours “evoke such emotion and usually, the brighter the colour, the brighter the mood you get from it.” With its door bearing title, Sinalo’s cover is a warm invitation to NATIVE Sound System’s expansive, tasteful selection and marriage of some of the best sounds emanating from these parts.Ĩ. Her choice of bright colours stem from her aim to create an image that, like the project, was an instant mood pick up. With the background information of the seasons and colourful songs from the album cut from the cloth of Afropop, Sinalo reflected the rich sounds using oil pastels and Procreate. It was a statement that ‘Mr Money With the Vibe’ would consolidate on that feat, and it did, helped along by a cover that became iconic the moment it was unveiled.įor its debut compilation album, ‘NATIVEWORLD’, NATIVE Sound System enlisted South African artist Sinalo Ngcaba to represent the sonic textures referenced from Nigeria’s weather seasons. The singer’s rap sheet is different, anointing himself the most sought after man in Nigerian pop for hijacking the charts. Before its release, the set-up was perfect: A cover image that aptly imitated the eternal mugshot of Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. After months establishing himself as the newest Afropop superstar on the block, on the back of a glorious EP packed with smash hits and a few blistering guest appearances, Asake’s first album needed to be an all-time debut project. Sometimes, all you need is just the perfect reference image. ![]() ![]() Including a euphoric desert blues album, a raucous eco-punk affair, a spiritual jazz odyssey and more, here are the ten best project covers of 2022. In our inaugural list of the Best Cover Arts in music from the past year, The NATIVE ’s editorial team combed through projects from across the African music landscape, considering aesthetic quality and value to the music. More than attracting pieces, great cover arts simultaneously preempt the sonic adventure in the music and serve as companion pieces that heighten the experience of listening to the music. For more obscure releases, a great cover can be the difference between a listener giving the music a chance or entirely skipping it. No matter how highly anticipated a body of work is, a project’s cover has the power to dampen expectations or further hype. In this post-digital wonderland where every piece of music seeks attention, the value of cover arts and images as introductory first impressions is as invaluable as it’s ever been. To access a wide range of music with a few taps at a device is an undeniable wonder, but this unbridled ease of access and the vastness of choices at our fingertips can get overwhelming, especially when you consider how much new music comes at us thick and fast. From a listener’s standpoint, there are two sides to the music streaming era coin: on-demand access and oversaturation. ![]()
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