23. Botswana — ‘Lora’ by Mpho Sebina

Wow, what an album. I loved it. This young singer from Botswana really is someone I’ll keep an eye on. There is a bit of everything: jazz, pop, soul, a few electronics here and there, the odd rap bits, some experimental stuff, but it’s all so coherent, so part of a whole. Half sung in her native language, half in English, there’s a bit of Alicia Keys and Oumaru Sangare, but yet there’s something new, fresh, and very polished (the album is very well produced). The acapella opening is gorgeous, and even the opposite spectrum — tracks such as Mind Fuck — retain a strange beauty.

Why isn’t she more famous? There’s barely anything about her online, barely any reviews of this album — and it is accessible. This could be number 1 easily. Please listen to her, you’ll agree.