Kamo Mphela’s “Dalie” proves to music artists around the globe that all it takes is just one hit song to get you back on top.
The acclaimed local musician broke into the music industry in 2019 as a dancer. That same year, she released her first single, “Suka Emabozeni”, followed by “Siyavuma” and “Amanikiniki”.
After a spate of short-lived releases, the queen of amapiano dropped “Dalie”, and it has since continued to break streaming records.
Since October, the chart-topping single which has been featured on TikTok's Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Top 50 Chart for three consecutive weeks now, has accumulated over 1.86 billion views and more than 120 million likes from fans across the globe.
Mphela also became the first South African lead female artist in history to have a song receive more than 100K daily streams on SA Spotify. The last female artist to do this was Adele back in 2021.
“Dalie” also retained a high ranking on all major streaming platforms. It was number one on Audiomack, second on YouTube and Shazam and third on Spotify and Apple Music.
“The support I’ve received for ‘Dalie’ and the #daliechallenge has been a tremendous source of motivation and encouragement,” said the 24-year-old star.
Since the drop, “Dalie’s” infectious beat and dynamic choreography has had scores of people doing the dance challenge.
So far, the trend has amassed over 9.5 million views, making it one of the fastest-growing trends on the social media.
Speaking about the process she takes to make great songs, the artist revealed that it is definitely not a one man show.
“When it comes to creating music, there are a lot of people that I sit with, basically people who help me write or inspire me musically to come up with ideas,” she explained.
“The space has to be very calm and no pressure. When it comes to be being on stage dancing, I just pray about it, dream about it and make it happen.”
About the chart-topper, “Dalie”, which translates to “my darling” or “my love” she said: “I crafted this love song on an up-tempo amapiano beat, and the incredible response has left me profoundly grateful.
“The encouragement I've received fuels my passion, enabling me to share my creativity with the world.”
Having the world at your feet can come with its share of criticism, but Mphela said she’s found a simple and effective way of handling it.
“If I am trending on any platform, I just switch off my phone and be back the following day, that’s the best way to keep it moving.”
Looking ahead, Mphela plans to diversify her offering: “While I enjoy creating dance content, I also look forward to sharing food-related content in the future.”
Mphela’s previous milestones include earning a nomination at the Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards in 2021 for her song, “Nkulunkulu.”
She has also performed at the AmaFest Tour in the UK that same year.
The renowned musician said one of her milestones included headlining the renowned international music festival Afro Nation in Nigeria while contributing to the “Black Panther” soundtrack.
“Being part of two soundtracks on ‘Black Panther’ with Durban Gogo, Young Stana, Sino Msolo, and Busiswa has been an incredible journey,” she said.
“Visiting London was a highlight for me, that’s the trip that changed my life.”
Offering advice to aspiring artists, Mphela believes that it is important to be authentic, independent, in a good mental space, and to embrace individuality.
“South Africans highly value originality, and it's the key quality that can set you apart, especially if you aspire to gain global recognition.”
Mphela is one of the hottest voices in the amapiano space. She is known as much for her songs as for her electric performances.
Currently she is riding the wave of success following her collaboration with American rapper T.I on the song “Vacay”, which dropped on November 2.
The star also revealed that she will be dropping an EP titled “Rebirth” next year.
“The EP is about me coming back into the industry, taking my space, the way I feel like I deserve,” she said.
“I am also headlining a show in London and will be doing a one woman show in SA. We have a lot of plans, but we have to give them to God first. Make sure you keep up with my socials.”