Teenage Dreams cover

Teenage Dreams

Released

Amapiano music follows a pretty simple recipe: bright synths, looped log-drums, jazzy keys — the “piano” in amapiano. Yet, in the hands of different producers, these elements can build vastly different atmospheres, from sunlit, blissed-out grooves to darker, hypnotic tracks that go deep. On Teenage Dreams Kgothatso Tshabalala and Zakhele Mhlanga, the two young producers who make up Native Soul, mostly focus on the latter style, keeping vocals to a minimum in favor of relentless percussive patterns and ominous synths. But it’s not all doom and gloom: the jazzy keys and tension-building chord progression create an uplifting, carefree energy that keeps you moving.

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

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