Angélique Kidjo is taking over Apple Music for Africa Day with a special radio broadcast recorded at Apple Music Studios in Los Angeles. Released as part of the platform’s ongoing “The Sounds of Africa” campaign, the takeover sees the five-time Grammy winning Beninese musician guiding listeners through the inspirations behind her latest album, HOPE!!, while reflecting on the continued rise of African music globally.
Dedicated to her late mother, HOPE!! becomes an emotional centre of conversation around grief and healing. “Hope is at the centre of everything,” Kidjo says during the special. “Our spirit of joy is a resistance in itself.” Across the episode, she shares stories behind collaborations with artists including Davido, Ayra Starr, Fireboy DML, and Nile Rodgers, while speaking candidly about witnessing African artists move into a new era of global visibility. “When we come unapologetically, we are going to sweep the whole place up,” Kidjo says. “I like seeing them take the baton from me and take it to another level. I don’t want them to copy me. I want them to be themselves.”
For South African listeners, the takeover also arrives at a moment where local scenes continue expanding their own global reach. Apple Music’s wider Africa Month campaign this year spotlights Cape Town and Durban among ten African cities shaping the continent’s next musical chapter, alongside hubs like Dakar, Kampala, Casablanca, and Kinshasa. Kidjo’s takeover ultimately feels less like a retrospective and more like a passing of the baton to the next generation of groundbreaking African artists.
Listen to the special on Apple Music here.
