A South African Sunday reset playlist: GLAMOUR Senior Content Producer’s picks for the week ahead

There’s something about Sundays that asks you to slow down - not because you’re tired, but because you’re human. This playlist leans into that feeling. It doesn’t try to hype you up or fix anything. It simply lets you be, with some of the most emotionally honest voices in South African music right now. What carries it is not just the songs, but the artists behind them - musicians who sound like they’ve lived what they’re singing.

“Dawn” – Thando Zide

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Thando Zide works in softness. There’s a delicacy in how she builds emotion—never rushed, never overdone. “Dawn” feels like her standing in that in-between space artists often explore best: where night hasn’t fully left and day hasn’t fully arrived. It’s reflective in a way that makes you pause without trying to.

“Cwaka” – Mandisi Dyantyis

There’s a reason Mandisi’s music feels almost spiritual. His work always carries this weight of reverence, like he’s not just performing but offering something. “Cwaka” sits right there—still, sacred, almost prayer-like.

“Something New” – Zoe Modiga

Zoe Modiga has a way of sounding like she’s thinking out loud in melody. She doesn’t force emotion—she lets it unfold. “Something New” carries that same energy: soft but certain, like someone choosing themselves quietly, without announcement. It feels like emotional maturity in real time.

“Vukani beNguni” – Mthuthu

Mthuthu’s sound always feels rooted, like it belongs somewhere deep in tradition but is still speaking to now. “Vukani” is exactly that: not loud instruction, but a grounded reminder. It feels like someone gently shaking you awake, not to rush you into the week, but to remind you that you’re still here, still capable, still becoming.

“Usebenzile (Wavy)” – Dussey Wavy

Dussey Wavy brings a more modern, textured energy into the mix. There’s still calm here, but it moves differently - more rhythm, more flow. It feels like an artist aware of balance: you can be reflective and still have motion in your body.

“Sebenzela Nina” – Samthing Soweto

Samthing Soweto has always sounded like someone who sings from lived experience, not performance. His voice carries labour—emotional, spiritual, and real-world. “Sebenzela Nina” feels like that quiet honesty: everything I do, I do with weight behind it, with meaning attached.

“Into Ingawe” – Sub-EL Musician and Ami Faku

Ami Faku doesn’t just sing emotion - she embodies it. There’s always this warmth in her voice that makes even confusion feel safe. “Into Ingawe” sits in that space of feeling too much but not needing to explain it. Just feeling it.

“Imizamo Yam” – Nathi

Nathi’s music often feels like reflection after struggle. His voice carries history in it—effort, setbacks, resilience. “Imizamo Yam” doesn’t glamorise hardship; it just tells the truth of it. There’s something grounding about hearing someone acknowledge how heavy effort can be.

“Selah” – Msaki

Msaki exists in her own atmospheric space. Her music always feels like it’s happening slightly above ground—dreamlike, layered, intentional. “Sela” is no different. It feels like emotional surrender, like letting something bigger than you in without resistance.

“Ntinga” – Chosi

There’s something freeing about the way this track closes the loop. It doesn’t resolve everything—it releases it. Chosi brings in a sense of lift, like you’ve been sitting too long with weight and suddenly remember you can rise.

“Bhubesi” – Kabomo

Kabomo has always been a storyteller first. “Bhubesi” carries that lion-like symbolism—strength, identity, and quiet power. It doesn’t roar. It settles. And in that settling, there’s confidence. The kind you carry into a new week without needing to announce it.