Just as we thought this year has ended with what we had already, only to wake up to the shock of the year from the rising African singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joshua Baraka has yet served the world with his hot brand new single.
Dubbed ‘Lonely,’ the singer shared the good news with the release of the song on Friday, October 25th via MOVES Recordings.
In just a few years, Ugandan studded sensation star Joshua Baraka has been winning fans all over the globe with his accessible and soulful R&B-leaning Afropop sound. After a summer run of top-tier features with the likes of Fave, DJ Neptune, Mr Tee and Tenorboy (on chart-topping East African radio hit, ‘Digii IV’ [830K streams]), he’s set to share ‘Lonely,’ the lead cut of his forthcoming mixtape.
The new banger, Produced by P Priime (whose credits include Pink Panthress, Rema, Burna Boy), ‘Lonely’ draws on the sonic innovation of iconic 90s Timbaland R&B beats, fusing this influence with Baraka’s yearning Afrosoul style to create an all-new sound.
‘Lonely,’drenched in trademark sweet and soulful melodies, the song draws on the nostalgic sonics and emotions of old school R&B, paying homage to the music that has had such an influence on his sound, whilst also showcasing another side to his artistry.
Baraka explains “is a day and age where Afrobeats is a default for a lot of African artists, I wanted to show an African approach to R&B and give the world a glimpse at how diverse African artists can be.”
Rising through the ranks as an artist to watch, this year, Joshua’s been named as one of Spotify’s Radar artists in Africa, has collaborated with renowned Nigerian artists Simi, Joeboy, and Magixx on his recent mixtape ‘Growing Pains’ and is about to set off on tour across Europe with Ghana’s finest, the popular highlife and afrobeats artist King Promise.
‘Lonely’, which follows his first sold-out debut London headline show earlier this month at Amazing Grace (Watch recap HERE), solidifies Joshua’s position as one of Africa’s most exciting, innovative and sought-after young talents. Be sure to keep an eye on the meteoric rise of the incredible Joshua Baraka.
Baraka, 22, singer-songwriter has rapidly become one of Uganda’s biggest stars, with 460K monthly listeners on Spotify and over 7 million streams.
Joshua has scheduled tours around Austria, Germany and France among others. Take a look at the star’s tours with dates in what he calls (Supporting King Promise);
22nd November – Gothenburg, Sweden – Nefertiti
26th November – Vienna, Austria – Flex
27th November – Hamburg, Germany – Uebel & Gefährlich
30th November – Paris, France – Le Trabendo (Parc De La Villette)
1st December – Copenhagen, Denmark – Pumpehuset
6th December – Munich, Germany – Isar Post
7th December – Essen, Germany – Teatro Club
8th December – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
