Apple Music launches Alpha playlist across Africa

The playlist will highlight female artists from across the continent, showcasing their contributions to different genres. Each week, Apple Music will feature a new African female artist.

Ayra Starr said the initiative represented “inclusion, a win and more visibility” for women in music. She added that the recognition was significant for artists whose work is often overlooked.

She also offered advice to emerging female musicians: “Don’t be ashamed to rebuild, don’t be afraid of failing. Keep reinventing yourself and keep rebranding till you get it right … Don’t be attached to the idea of perfection, it’s an illusion.”

Starr’s latest single, ‘Hot Body’, produced by Ragee and the Elements, is the first release to feature on the playlist.

Other artists included are Ghanaian R&B and Afro-Fusion singer Gyakie and Nigerian newcomer Salle. Gyakie described Alpha as “an important spotlight on the incredible music women across Africa are already creating,” while Salle said the playlist “offers a platform where we can finally shine on our own terms.”