Johannesburg, 5 October 2022: South African indie-alternative singer-songwriter, aboynamedblu, is the next recipient of Apple Music’s Up Next program, a local version of their global emerging artist platform which they launched early in 2021.
In the wake of his second EP release of the year, aboynamedblu relishes the opportunity to be featured in South Africa’s local Up Next program, Apple Music’s artist initiative geared towards identifying and showcasing rising talent. “I am so grateful to have been given a platform by Apple Music’s Up Next South Africa to share my music and be featured amongst such talented company,” he tells Apple Music.
Since the release of his debut EP, Alone On Most Days (2021), aboynamedblu quietly made multiple streaming inroads across flagship playlists on Apple Music, resulting in him growing a dedicated fan base without ever having played a show.
His latest release, I Heard You Tried To Fight the Night Sky (2022), available to stream on Apple Music in Spatial Audio, is a delicately introspective alternative EP about finding peace in existence, and is influenced by his relationship with and understanding of the sky as something that’s omnipresent. Co-produced by his creative partner Cat Gallent, mixed by Aqeeb Majiet, and mastered by Mike Zeitsman (PHFAT), aboynamedblu has assembled a team of like-minded collaborators to shape an EP that marks a new chapter for the introspective singer who prefers to let his music do the talking.
As the newest Up Next artist to be spotlighted in South Africa, aboynamedblu will be featured across Apple Music’s South African Up Next playlist. The curated Up Next playlist features a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world. The playlist is genre agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience.
The vast global Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Fousheé and Tems.
About Apple Music’s Up Next Program
Up Next is Apple Music’s monthly artist program geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising star talent. Each month, Apple Music’s editorial team selects an artist to promote, utilizing the full force of the platform to raise awareness of the artist to its growing global audience of music fans. The vast Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Zoe Wees, Morray, Fousheé, Amorphous, Tems, Parker McCollum, Jay Wheeler, Shenseea, Omar Apollo, Jvck James and aespa.
In 2022, Apple Music’s Up Next artist program has expanded into its sixth year and includes a curated companion Up Next playlist featuring a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world. The playlist is genre and country agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience. In March 2021, Apple Music expanded the Up Next program to feature localized campaigns that highlight artists across the U.S., U.K., Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greater China, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Netherlands, Nigeria, Nordics, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey.