Azanti wants to shift the center of gravity of Afrobeats. The 19-year-old singer/songwriter and producer from Abuja, Nigeria is set on taking over and introducing the world to his kaleidoscopic blend of R&B and Afropop. The 11 tracks on his debut album HeartParts & Nostalgia rattle the core of the genre, introducing playful energy, and a knack for off-kilter, but infectious melodies, that results from the fresh perspective he brings as one of Afrobeats’ youngest stars. It’s meant, in part, to encapsulate Azanti’s lifelong musical journey. Born in Abuja, he absorbed various cultures through his family’s travels throughout the world. From age three, Azanti was mimicking the artists on the records his mother played, which included Nigerian legends like Yinka Ayefele, Tope Alabi, and King Sunny Ade. As a child of the Internet age, he encountered all sorts of music—from pop to R&B to rap—through YouTube. Soon he’d start making music of his own. He sent some early demos to local trap star PsychoYP, asking for advice, but a few emails later, he was the newest addition to YP’s Apex Village collective. They solidified the deal with 2020’s YP and Azanti, Vol. 1 joint EP. HeartParts & Nostalgia is the next step, and it’s an achievement in its own right, but Azanti never wants to lose sight of his work ethic. “Since I was young, music was all I’ve known,” he says. “When I’m making music that everything goes away and I’m in my own world. Nothing else gives me the same peace of mind.”
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