Sway Dasafo inspires with new lockdown track

“I was close to the completion of my next solo album, then the world suddenly changed, which inspired a barrage of new songs that should be heard during these times,” he said in a statement announcing the song on 31 July.

Days before, teasing the record, the explained that he was “fortunate enough to connect with some incredible musicians via Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and good old normal phone calls to make it happen. This song seriously forced me out of my comfort zone but I’m glad it did.”

Sway says ‘Reach Out’ is taken from one of a number of collaborative projects that have resulted from the lockdown, although he did not specify when an extensive collection would be released.

The horn-filled Afrobeats jam was created with the help of an array of international creatives including Charlie Cook, Adenike Zen, Drvmroll, John Garner, D- Phantom, Brian Henry, Baffour Adu Gyamfi, Emmanuel Arthur, Rexford Amoako, Zagor and PK Ambrose.

The accompanying video for ‘Reach Out’ features a collage comprising cellphone footage of the creation process tendered by the collaborators on the project.

Born Derek Andrews Safo, the award-winning rapper also enjoys success as an executive producer and entrepreneur. Sway’s new album will most likely be Next Chapter, an LP that was originally slated for release last year. The project arrives with a book and short film and has already been declared by the musician as his best work yet.

Sway is also working on NR World and NR Global, a distribution service and streaming platform catering to both established and undiscovered talent across Africa.

Last year, he joined about 80 speakers in Accra, Ghana, for the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES). At the pan-African trade event, Sway joined a panel featuring Nigeria’s Skales and the BBC’s Rita Ray to discuss Afrobeats’ recent international acceptance and business potential.

Buy Sway's new song here.