Top 10 new singles & EPs of 2023
I’ve been recapping my favorite singles and EPs of the year for each of the last five years, and there’s one simple reason why I do so: We’re living in a singles era today, so neglecting new releases just because they aren’t full albums is musical malpractice.
I’m not going to rehash all the reasons why it’s once again a singles era (as it was before, say, 1967). Instead I’ll just hit you with this one factoid: Among all the new recordings WRIR received from promoters, labels and artists in 2023, more than 50 percent of the ones I put on our New & Recommended list were singles or EPs.
Singles aren’t just for the pop and dance music markets any more — tune in this week (Sunday December 17, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) and hear for yourself.
Without further ado, here are my favorite singles and EPs of 2023:
Top 10 New Singles & EPs of 2023
1. Nusantara Beat (Netherlands-Indonesia) | “Djanger” / “Borondong Garang” | Bongo Joe / Lamunai
2. Nusantara Beat (Netherlands-Indonesia) | “Kota Bandung” / “Layung” | Bongo Joe / Lamunai
3. Etran De L’Aïr (Niger) | Live In Seattle EP | Sahel Sounds
4. Shaggy x Kes (Jamaica-Trinidad & Tobago) | “Mood” | Ranch Entertainment / VP
5. Jembaa Groove (Germany-Ghana-Benin-Israel-Portugal) | “Sweet My Ear” (feat K.O.G) | Agogo
6. Captain Yossarian (Germany) | “Zombie” | Echo Beach
7. Jacobo Vélez y La Mambanegra (Colombia) | Radio Mamba Internacionale AM EP | Tambora
8. iPhupho L’ka Biko (South Africa) | Azania EP | We Are Busy Bodies
9. Saramaccan Sound (Suriname) | “One Mother, Two Hearts” | Glitterbeat
10. Don Letts (England UK) | “Outta Sync” | Cooking Vinyl
Honorable Mention
Sintayehu Belay (Ethiopia) | Tsedey EP | Muzikawi
Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto (Colombia) | Fanny Rosa EP | Llorona
Sami Galbi (Morocco-Switzerland) | “Dakchi Hani” | Bongo Joe
Kumbia Queers & Nacho Vegas (Argentina-Spain) | “Cuando Hablas Así” | FaroLatino
London Afrobeat Collective (England UK-Italy-France-RD Congo-Argentina-New Zealand) | “Topesa Esengo Na Motema” | Canopy
Cecilia Noël (Perú-USA) | “El Niño En La Frontera” | Wild Clam
Pahua (México-Cuba-Costa Rica) | “No Huí” (feat El Individuo) | Nacional
Moussa Tchingou (Niger) | Tamiditine EP | Sahel Sounds
Toco (Brazil-Italy) | “Leão Leonardo” | Schema
Sia Tolno (Sierra Leone-Guinée Conakry-Spain) | Baya EP | Kingsland Music / Slow Walk Music
My top 20 singles and EPs are available as a Spotify playlist: bit.ly/3RntibK
Podcast: radio4all.net/program/117032
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go
Show archive
Playlist
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Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a Go-Go”
from Global A Go-Go
BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001
England UK
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Saramaccan Sound, “One Mother, Two Hearts”
from One Mother, Two Hearts - Single
Glitterbeat - 2023
Suriname
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Jembaa Groove & K.O.G., “Sweet My Ear”
Agogo Records - 2022
Germany-Ghana-Benin-Israel-Portugal
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Cecilia Noël, “El Niño en la Frontera”
from El Niño en la Frontera - Single
Wild Clam Records - 2023
Perú-USA
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Jacobo Velez & La Mambanegra, “Punta Talón”
from Radio Mamba Internacionale Am - EP
Tambora Records - 2023
Colombia
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Shaggy x Kes, “Mood”
from Mood - Single
Ranch Entertainment / VP - 2023
Jamaica-USA-Trinidad & Tobago
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London Afrobeat Collective, “Topesa Esengo Na Motema”
from Topesa Esengo Na Motema - Single
Canopy - 2023
England UK-Italy-France-RD Congo-Argentina-New Zealand
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Kumbia Queers, “Cuando Hablas Así (feat. Nacho Vegas)”
from Cuando Hablas Así (feat. Nacho Vegas) - Single
Kumbia Queers - 2023
Argentina-Spain
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Pahua, “No Huí (feat El Individuo)”
from No Huí (feat El Individuo) - Single
Nacional Records - 2023
México-Cuba-Costa Rica
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Nusantara Beat, “Djanger”
from Djanger / Borondong Garing - Single
Les Disques Bongo Joe - 2023
Netherlands-Indonesia
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Nusantara Beat, “Layung”
from Kota Bandung / Layung - Single
Les Disques Bongo Joe - 2023
Netherlands-Indonesia
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Nusantara Beat, “Kota Bandung”
from Kota Bandung / Layung - Single
Les Disques Bongo Joe - 2023
Netherlands-Indonesia
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Nusantara Beat, “Borondong Garing”
from Djanger / Borondong Garing - Single
La Munai Records - 2023
Netherlands-Indonesia