The Agenda 2023

The artists that ran The Agenda this year took on familiar sounds while scaling adventurous new heights. J Hus returned with a vengeance on Beautiful and Brutal Yard, his first release since 2020. The Hustla delivered a triumph on album three—even with the surprising absence of former exec producer JAE5—turning in passionate takes on Black masculinity, love and trauma, while the melodic Drake collab “Who Told You” also blew up into a summer soundtrack. Central Cee and Dave also ran out in tandem, celebrating their 25th birthdays in June with the gift of four-track EP Split Decision. Lead single “Sprinter” (which carried production credits for both MCs, and rap newbie Jim Legxacy) was an inescapable hit, pushing the pair into record-breaking territory at home and setting ablaze stages from Glasto to NYC’s Governors Ball. This year, the leading names in UK R&B (Kali Claire, Jaz Karis and Mnelia) also kept the sound’s revival firmly on The Agenda. 2023 was equally about the ladies running the show in rap: Sexyy Red and Ice Spice emerged with tracks that have sewn up their unique brands—and their status as the fastest-growing MCs today. As Africa’s most exciting export, amapiano’s rise also gained speed. South Africa’s Tyla fused the genre’s infectious log-drum drop, and rode a viral dance craze with sizzling pop hit “Water”. Tracing more local trends, London remained the spot for victory-lap shows from Afrobeats’ biggest names in 2023. On headline-grabbing nights, Rema and Asake’s fusion sounds—reimagined with live backing bands—filled insatiable, sold-out arenas, making the capital the reigning music hotspot of the diaspora. Listen to more from the artists who helped elevate The Agenda in 2023—and if you hear something you like, don’t forget to add it to your library.