Nigerian singer and songwriter Victony has officially released his highly anticipated sophomore album, Starlife, marking a new chapter in his fast-rising career. Released on August 21, 2026, Starlife is a 15-track project that follows Victony’s 2024 debut studio album, Stubborn. The new album arrives after months of anticipation, with Victony previously teasing songs including “Slick”…

Adekunle Gold is taking his Fuji era to a new level with the announcement of his debut live album, Fuji Orchestra (Live From London), scheduled for release on August 28, 2026. The Nigerian singer announced the project on August 19, revealing that the live album captures his acclaimed orchestral performance in London. Fans can now…

Universal Music Group (UMG) has partnered with Hook, an AI-powered social music platform, to give fans new ways to legally remix and create mashups using music from UMG’s catalog. Under the new partnership, Hook will expand its library of licensed UMG recordings, allowing fans to create AI-assisted remixes and other forms of user-generated music content…

Anderson .Paak and Cordae are officially joining forces for a full-length collaborative album titled Heavy Is the Crown, bringing years of musical chemistry into one project. The duo announced the album on August 19, revealing that Heavy Is the Crown will be released on October 23, 2026, through APESHIT, Mass Appeal and EMPIRE. The project…

The MTV Video Music Awards have discontinued the Best Afrobeats category for the 2026 edition of the ceremony, removing a category that had become an important platform for African music on one of the world’s biggest music award shows. The category was introduced in 2023, with Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” becoming its inaugural…

Ayra Starr has opened the era of her third studio album, Starrgirl, with another major global streaming achievement. The Nigerian Afropop star’s 16-track album has debuted at No. 2 on Spotify’s Global Top Albums Debut chart, giving Starrgirl one of the biggest global album openings by an African female artist in 2026. Released on August…

Jamen Capital and Merlin have completed their acquisition of Curve Royalty Systems from Virgin Music Group, officially returning the music royalty-processing platform to independent ownership. The transaction closed on August 18, 2026, following final approval from the European Commission, which had required Curve’s divestment as a condition for approving Universal Music Group’s $775 million acquisition…

Ayra Starr has opened the era of her third studio album Starrgirl with a major streaming milestone, recording 3,941,409 global Spotify streams in its first full day of release. The figure places Starrgirl among the biggest first-day streaming performances for a female African album in 2026, reportedly ranking as the second-highest debut of the year…

Missy Elliott is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Aaliyah’s landmark second studio album, One in a Million, reflecting on a project that helped reshape the sound of contemporary R&B. Originally released on August 13, 1996, One in a Million became one of the defining albums of the 1990s. The project brought together Aaliyah, Missy Elliott…

Megan Thee Stallion has entered a new distribution partnership with Interscope Records, giving the Houston superstar access to the major label’s global distribution and strategic resources while allowing her to maintain ownership of her music. Megan announced the partnership on August 14, revealing that her independent company, Hot Girl Productions, will work with Interscope on…