K’naan Joins Sharma Boy on New Single, “Waayo Waayo”
It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new songs from K’naan, but he’s back now. He joins fellow Somali rapper Sharma Boy on his new single, “Waayo Waayo.” (According to Google Translate, that’s Somali for “For Why.”) The new song also comes with a music video.
“Waayo Waayo” opens on a mid-tempo beat with a serene soundscape. Sharma Boy takes on the first verse, his noticeably auto-tuned voice perfectly meshing with the music. The song gets more energetic and fun, and it might be impossible not to at least sway along with it. Following the chorus, K’naan sings the second verse. Up to now, the song has been in Somali, so it’s notable that K’naan’s part is in English. The piano is more prominent in his verse, and K’naan’s vocals don’t have the extra auto-tune. From here, Sharma Boy comes in for the next chorus, with K’naan adding harmonies. Admittedly, the writer of this news post doesn’t speak any Somali, but the song sounds inspiring and that message rings true in the one English verse.
The music video shows Sharma Boy and K’naan in several outdoor location: a sandy valley, a grassy park with palm trees, a river against a big city skyline, the jungle gym of a children’s playground. The vivid scenery adds to the peaceful and uplifting sound of “Waayo Waayo.” The video was directed by Moono Haboombe.
Watch Sharma Boy and K’naan’s music video for “Waayo Waayo” below:
You can stream or buy “Waayo Waayo” from all the music providers here.
More From Sharma Boy
This year alone, Sharma Boy has released seven singles and his debut album, Ima Gaartiin. “Waayo Waayo” is a standalone single, though it is possible it will appear on a future album. Apart from “Waa Sax,” “Waayo Waayo” is already the most-streamed song for this up-and-coming artist.
More From K’naan
K’naan’s last album, Country, God, Or The Girl, came out nine years ago. After an attempt at starting an HBO series, called Mogadishu, Minnesota, K’naan’s last official release was “Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)” in 2016, part of The Hamilton Mixtape. Between 2017 and 2018, K’naan was in and out of the studio, evidently recording a full album with Kyan and Krucial Keys in Los Angeles. We’ve heard previews of several songs, including “Hide And Seek” and “Come To America,” songs we’ll tentatively call “Bad At Love,” “Ha Ha,” and “Those Were The Days,” and some unnamed songs. Sadly, nearly four years later, we still haven’t gotten this album.
In summer 2019, K’naan performed two new songs: “Don’t Call Me Up” and “Disgraceland.” Both were rumored to appear on an album called Disgraceland, to be released that autumn. However, this album has not yet materialized. In mid-April 2020, a new song called “Siratul Mustakeen” was briefly available on iTunes, Apple Music, and YouTube. However, it arrived with no announcement and was quietly taken down shortly thereafter.
Finally, in early May 2021, K’naan was in Nairobi, Kenya working on music with Blinky Bill and Rayzak Hassan. What does this mean for the album he’d already recorded? Is new music imminent? As of now, it appears that this time in eastern Africa at least led us to “Waayo Waayo” with Sharma Boy. Hopefully there’s more where that came from!
Enjoy Sharma Boy and K’naan’s “Waayo Waayo,” and be sure to look out for more music from both artists. Keep checking back here for all the latest music news.
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