It might have been the song of choice for teenagers wishing to make a splash on Tik Tok, but South African amapiano hit track Mnike seems to have reached the ears of even the rich and powerful, with Barbadian star Rihanna crowning it as one of her songs of the year during a recent interview.
Mnike, the breakout hit by Amapiano producer Tyler ICU, has shaken dance floors locally and internationally, becoming a viral sensation that has underlined the genre’s growing influence across the globe.
As the year draws to an end, Tyler’s smash hit seems to have got the ultimate endorsement, with pop superstar Rihanna hailing it as her song of the year.
Rihanna crowned Mnike as the song of the year during a recent Fenty x Puma event.
Rihanna, when asked by the culture magazine what her album of the year was, she explained she was more of a streaming singles person than listening to full albums.
“Album of the year? Am I an album girl, or am I a streaming single girl? ‘Unavailable’ [by Davido, featuring Musa Keys] on repeat,” Rihanna said. “That and ‘Mnike’ [by Tyler ICU and Tumelo] are my songs of the year,” the Barbadian superstar said.
According to Spotify wrapped, Mnike was the most streamed song in South Africa in 2023.
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