From The Curator at BlackFM
There is something rather splendid about a week in which charts tell as vivid a story as any liner note, and this one does not disappoint. From a Lagos debut landing straight at the summit to a Drake track clawing its way up the South African listings with real purpose, these five selections offer a fine cross-section of where the ear is currently being led. Settle in, and let us take them in turn.
1. BNXN: “16”
BNXN arrives this week with the sort of entrance one rarely sees managed so cleanly: "16" has gone straight in at No. 1 on the Nigeria Top 50, a debut with no preamble and no apology. There is a confidence to African pop at its best that feels almost architectural, each groove load-bearing, each hook placed exactly where it ought to be, and this track carries that same sense of assured construction. Released at the start of October, it already sounds like a record built for longevity rather than a fleeting splash, and I suspect we shall be hearing it rather often.
Why now: Debuted at No. 1 on the Nigeria Top 50. Released October 1, 2026. BNXN on the BlackFM Charts
2. Mzukulu: “Isesheli (feat. OmaThwala)”
Mzukulu's "Isesheli," featuring OmaThwala, has made a handsome climb of six places to settle at No. 5 on the South Africa Top 50, which is no small feat in a chart as crowded as that one currently is. There is a warmth to the collaboration that suggests two sensibilities genuinely listening to one another rather than merely sharing a credit, and the rise itself speaks to a song finding its audience gradually and properly, the way the best ones tend to. Released back in August, it has had time to prove its staying power, and prove it it has.
Why now: Climbed 6 places to No. 5 on the South Africa Top 50. Released August 7, 2026. Mzukulu on the BlackFM Charts
3. Jhené Aiko: “So Good (feat. Kendrick Lamar)”
Jhené Aiko's "So Good," with Kendrick Lamar lending his verse, has leapt twelve places to No. 16 on the South Africa Top 50, a jump sharp enough to suggest word is spreading fast. Her voice has always possessed a particular unhurried quality, silken rather than showy, and pairing it with Kendrick's more angular delivery makes for a pleasing contrast of textures, the smooth against the precise. Released in September, the track's rapid ascent since then tells you plainly that South African listeners have taken to it with some enthusiasm, and frankly, who could blame them.
Why now: Climbed 12 places to No. 16 on the South Africa Top 50. Released September 11, 2026. Jhené Aiko on the BlackFM Charts
4. Loatinover Pounds: “My Life”
Loatinover Pounds' "My Life" has risen ten places to No. 12 on the South Africa Top 50, a steady and emphatic climb for a September release. Hip-hop of this stripe rewards attentive listening, the sort where the narrative unfurls at its own pace rather than announcing itself with fireworks, and a jump of this size suggests the song has been doing exactly that work quietly in the background of people's weeks. It is the kind of movement up a chart that feels earned rather than engineered, and all the more satisfying for it.
Why now: Climbed 10 places to No. 12 on the South Africa Top 50. Released September 25, 2026.
5. Drake: “Janice STFU”
Drake closes our five with "Janice STFU," which has surged an impressive seventeen places to No. 19 on the South Africa Top 50. That sort of leap, from well outside the upper tier to comfortably within it, tends not to happen by accident, and it points to a track that has caught hold of listeners rather suddenly. Whatever one's settled opinion of Drake, and opinions on that front are rarely neutral, there remains an undeniable craft to how his records move once they catch fire, and this one is plainly catching fire.
Why now: Climbed 17 places to No. 19 on the South Africa Top 50. Drake on the BlackFM Charts
That is this week's five, though the dial need not stop there. Keep your ear tuned to BlackFM radio for more of the same, and if you are making music yourselves, do send it our way through BlackFM submissions, we are always listening.
Keep listening: BlackFM radio · Airplay Top 30 · Submit your music for The BlackFM 5
