Amapiano grew out of apartheid-era South Africa, but it’s now experiencing an exciting burst of popularity across the globe. Infused with optimism and a room-quaking baseline beat, the music represents a fusion between deep house, jazz and soul with a percussive beat. The viral rise of Amapiano music thrived during the global COVID-19 pandemic when many were stuck in the house scrolling through apps like TikTok and Instagram. It can now be found playing in clubs and venues across South Africa and culturally-inclined spaces around the world. The future of Amapiano is one full of possibilities as the young artists and creators continue to put their footprints all over the genre and nurture it into something bigger. As mainstays like Drake and Beyoncé continue to fuse diasporic sounds into their music, Amapiano is destined to cross over into the mainstream.

Amapiano to the World: The Next Cultural Shift in Mainstream Music