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Global Spin: Watch Afrobeats Rapper Candy Bleakz Perform An Electrifying Version Of "Kope (Kanle)"

Candy Bleakz

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Global Spin: Watch Afrobeats Rapper Candy Bleakz Perform An Electrifying Version Of "Kope (Kanle)"

In the latest episode of Global Spin, drop into the colorful world of Candy Bleakz, a dynamic Afrobeats rapper who performs her euphoric song "Kope (Kanle)"

GRAMMYs/Nov 10, 2021 - 04:13 am

After an era of confusion and darkness, things are finally — hopefully, tentatively — calming down a bit. As a result, we're getting music with a palpable sense of relief and joy — and much of it is coming from the Afrobeats scene out of Nigeria, which prizes a sense of confidence, luxuriousness and — gasp! — possibilities.

Enter Candy Bleakz, a rising Afrobeats rapper here to lead us over the threshold from 2021 to 2022. Her tune "Kope (Kanle)" is all about a subject any of us can relate to — wanting to take a grab at cash and success. And if all of the personality-packed MC's tracks are this effervescent, she's on the road to global applause.

In the latest episode of Global Spin, GRAMMY.com's digital series which aims to celebrate and elevate global music, watch Candy Bleakz' sunny performance of "Kope (Kanle)" among a series of columns — painted with murals of solemn significance.

Specifically, they pay homage to the campaigners of #BringBackOurGirls, an organization bringing awareness to 276 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted in 2014 by Boko Haram. Click here for more information on the memorial. If you'd like to donate to #BringBackOurGirls, visit here.

For now, enjoy Candy Bleakz' exhilarating performance above and click here to enjoy more episodes of Global Spin.

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Global Spin: AGNEZ MO Comes "Straight Outta Jakarta" In This Swaggering Performance Of "Get Loose"
AGNEZ MO

Photo: Credit_AM Photography Team_Adam Yoshihara

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Global Spin: AGNEZ MO Comes "Straight Outta Jakarta" In This Swaggering Performance Of "Get Loose"

The Indonesian artist commands the stage to perform her newest single "Get Loose" with a troupe of mask-clad backing dancers.

GRAMMYs/Sep 28, 2023 - 05:00 pm

AGNEZ MO is ready to "Get Loose" with a special performance of her newest single for Global Spin.

For the number, MO takes over a massive soundstage encircled by spotlights, wearing a sparkling, hooded trench, a crop top, matching parachute pants, and finishing off the look with a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling/ Stop the record, let the singer sing/ I'm burning up, you know I'm really on fire/ Popping like the grease on lemon pepper wings/ Twerking and I'm somebody daughter/ Comin' straight outta Jakarta/ Ain't my fault dat your baby daddy looking/ He say he wanna be my baby father," she brags in a hushed rap before turning up the volume for the booming chorus.

On the track, the Indonesian artist tapped Ciara for a dynamic guest verse, but this time she handles the entire song with verve, flanked by a troupe of backing dancers wearing rabbit-eared masks and T-shirts emblazoned with her lyric "COMIN STRAIGHT OUTTA JAKARTA" in bold block lettering. 

As MO continues to build buzz as a promising talent from Southeast Asia, she also recently dropped the official remix of "Get Loose" featuring the Jamaican queen of dancehall Spice.

Press play on the video above to watch Agnez Mo's solo performance of "Get Loose," and check GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Global Spin: Ayra Starr Shakes Off The Haters In This Confident Performance Of "Bloody Samaritan"
Ayra Starr

Photo: Maxime Ellis

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Global Spin: Ayra Starr Shakes Off The Haters In This Confident Performance Of "Bloody Samaritan"

The West African songstress turns a Los Angeles stage into an Afropop party thanks to the 2021 single off her debut album '19 & Dangerous.'

GRAMMYs/Sep 21, 2023 - 07:15 pm

Ayra Starr has a message for the haters: "Dem no fit kill my vibe." It's the empowering statement at the center of her 2021 single "Bloody Samaritan."

The song was released as the lead single off the West African songstress' debut album, 2021's 19 & Dangerous, and even earned a guest feature from Kelly Rowland on its official remix. 

In this episode of Global Spin, Starr hits the stage in Los Angeles to perform the confidently defiant Afropop track. She's backed by a full band with a hype man, who got the enthralled crowd amped for the performance by shouting, "Alright L.A., let's turn this place into an Ayra Starr party, alright?"

"Vibe killer, bloody Samaritan/ Protect my energy from your bad aura/ Na my pastor say I be my healer/ Everythin' I desire, I go receive," the Benin native sings in a sparkling pink minidress and diamond choker as a wind machine gives her long locks the Beyoncé effect.

Adding to her rising profile as one of West Africa's most promising young talents, Starr most recently collaborated with Tori Kelly on the two-time GRAMMY winner's new self-titled EP, adding her distinct Afropop flair to album cut "unbelievable." 

Press play on the video above to watch Ayra Starr's performance of "Bloody Samaritan," and check GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Global Spin: Rubio Asks The Hard Questions In This Emotive Performance Of "Lo Que No Hablas"
Rubio

Photo: Courtesy of Rubio

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Global Spin: Rubio Asks The Hard Questions In This Emotive Performance Of "Lo Que No Hablas"

On her confessional new single, "Lo Que No Hablas," Chilean singer and producer Rubio addresses some tough topics in hopes of finding healing.

GRAMMYs/Sep 14, 2023 - 05:02 pm

Chilean singer Rubio has a lot to say — and she's been holding it back for a while. But with her newest single, "Lo Que No Hablas," she's unveiling all the questions she never could ask.

"I hope you get better from that/ Why don't you talk to anyone?" Rubio ponders in the Spanish chorus. "I hope you get better from that/ What do you think when you keep quiet?"

In this episode of Global Spin, Rubio performs a stirring rendition of "Lo Que No Hablas," strumming an electric guitar as her bandmate uses a MIDI pad to remix classical sounds.

"Lo Que No Hablas" is the second single from Rubio's upcoming album, Venus & Blue. "It's one of my favorite songs off the album," Rubio said in a press statement. "I think the lyrics are very relatable since we all have things we don't talk about — things we are trying to heal from."

In October, Rubio will appear at the Festival Tecate Coordenada in Guadalajara, Mexico; in November, she'll return home to Chile for the Festiva Fauna Primavera in Santiago.

Press play on the video above to watch Rubio's eccentric performance of "Lo Que No Hablas," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Global Spin: Stonebwoy Rises To The Top In This Bold Performance Of "Manodzi"
Stonebwoy

Photo: Kay Studios for Burniton Music Group

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Global Spin: Stonebwoy Rises To The Top In This Bold Performance Of "Manodzi"

Ghanaian dancehall singer Stonebwoy performs "Manodzi," a new track from his latest album, '5th Dimension,' featuring Angélique Kidjo.

GRAMMYs/Sep 7, 2023 - 05:06 pm

Growing up with few ties to entertainment, Ghanaian dancehall singer Stonebwoy never expected to be one of the most revered musicians from his country, with over 20 awards and a feature on three GRAMMY-nominated reggae albums. But as he reveals one of his newest tracks, "Manodzi," always having confidence was a major key to his success.

"Every day, I’m winning/ See me never lose," Stonebwoy boasts. "I am on a journey/ Forward I go, never returning now/ The wilderness don’t scare me/ Straight to the top I’m aiming now."

In this episode of Global Spin, watch Stonebwoy offer an uplifting performance of "Manodzi," singing the track in a practice room alongside his band.

"Manodzi," originally featuring GRAMMY Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo, arrives on Stonebwoy's newest album, 5th Dimension. In an interview with OkayAfrica, he said the song has "that sound that speaks Africa. Angelique is an institution of African music all the way through the diaspora ... It just shows that, gradually, a boy like me is growing in the realms of people who are institutions."

Stonebwoy just wrapped up the North American leg of the 5th Dimension Tour. On Oct. 1, he will begin touring through Australia, UK, and Europe.

Press play on the video above to watch Stonebwoy's performance of "Manodzi," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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