100 Best Albums Radio

New forms of African popular music fuse traditional and contemporary sensibilities, morphing into new sonic fusions that connect Joburg to Nairobi via Lagos and Accra—and reflect the global diaspora. On Africa Now Radio, South African actor, singer, media personality, and entrepreneur Nandi Madida presents the latest African sounds in their lush entirety, be it amapiano, Afrobeats, highlife, alté, house, hip-hop, Afrobongo, or kuduro—along with interviews with the continent’s biggest stars and most exciting emerging acts. Kicking off her television career at just 15 years old, Nandi Madida has hosted some of South Africa’s most popular lifestyle shows, including All Access Mzansi and Coke Studio, and hosted and executive-produced BET Africa’s Made in Africa. Nandi starred in The Road, which won the South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for Best TV Soap in 2017, and 2020’s Black Is King, the Disney+ visual album and film experience written and directed by Beyoncé. “From the day I was born, I loved entertaining people, I loved the arts,” Nandi tells Apple Music 1. “I think because I got to choose my trajectory—my life, my goals, my plans, where I'm going—that's why I believe I still love it. There's a purpose, rather than the rewards that come with it. I absolutely love entertainment and I've never stopped since.” Through her own music, including her 2012 debut album NANDI and singles like 2020’s “Organic,” Nandi celebrates the natural beauty of African people, while her journey as a fashion entrepreneur led her to co-found the label Colour alongside Project Runway South Africa winner Kentse Masilo; together they’ve showcased vibrant, regal collections at New York Fashion Week. In addition to her creative projects, Nandi currently serves as a Global Citizen advocate and helps to promote gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights. Inspired by her desire to share the beauty of the continent and its people around the world, Nandi sees herself as a true ambassador for African creativity. “I have never been this riveted by the African music scene,” she explains. “What we've been trying to do for so many years is finally happening. Africans are getting the recognition, but from an equal level, where we are not being compromised; we are not being undermined in any way. We’re being appreciated but also respected—and so many people fought for that. I think that's paramount, that people understand that we are so capable, with or without any assistance. We really are. And I think people are seeing that. I think our leaders [need] to understand that as well. Our artists are showing us that whether or not we have the support, we're doing it ourselves.” “I’m big on uniting African people across the continent and across the diaspora,” Nandi continues. “I hope to lift the voices of our African artists even higher, to really be a representative of how incredible this continent is and has been.” Tune in to a new episode of Africa Now Radio every Friday at 1 am LA, 4 am NY, 9 am Lagos/London, and 10 am Johannesburg/Paris on Apple Music 1.

For Apple Music 1 host Brooke Reese, whose grandfather emigrated from Mexico when he was 15, music has always been a way to stay connected to family, tradition, and cherished memories. “My mom made sure to always keep me connected to our culture and everything my grandpa sacrificed so we all could have a better life,” Brooke says. “I grew up with mariachis at every family party—it was a must!” But American pop was also a key part of Brooke’s formative mix, and when she’s feeling nostalgic she’ll play artists like John Mayer or Justin Timberlake. “Their music has been the soundtrack to a lot of important moments in my life, both good and bad. I can remember vividly watching *NSYNC’s ‘Tearin’ Up My Heart’ in my mom’s living room when I was in third or fourth grade. I was immediately drawn in.” As the host of Apple Music 1’s The Chart Show, Brooke runs through chart countdowns from around the world, interviews stars at the top, and keeps listeners up to date on what’s new and what’s next. “My show is the only listener-based show on Apple Music 1,” she says. “It’s the songs and artists that listeners go back to over and over again.” Tune in to The Chart Show With Brooke Reese every Monday through Thursday at 6 am LA/9 am NYC/2 pm LDN. Hometown: Riverside, California Earliest musical memory: “In my Latin household, you had to get up early to clean the house and do your chores before you could go outside. I remember my mom blasting Julio Iglesias, Neil Diamond, and Céline Dion. I always loved to sing along, and they always remind me of my mom.” Favorite music video: Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.” “It was so iconic, and I still know the dance moves to this day.” First song I ever bought or downloaded: Toni Braxton, “Un-Break My Heart.” “I used to play it on my cassette player and sing it at the top of my lungs.” Go-to karaoke song: Madonna, “Like a Virgin.” First tour: *NSYNC Five songs that get me through the day: 1. Miranda Lambert, “Bluebird” 2. Harry Styles, “Golden” 3. “Anything Cher—she is my queen!” 4. “Everything from Taylor Swift's 1989 album.” 5. “Anything by John Mayer.”

As host of her namesake Apple Music 1 show, broadcaster Dotty has a big self-proclaimed goal: to bring Black music culture from around the world to life. And she’s remarkably suited for the task: She grew up in global music mecca London as a second-generation immigrant—“all of my grandparents came to the UK from the Caribbean during the Windrush generation,” she explains—and surrounded herself with soul from the US, dancehall from Jamaica, and much more. “I love all branches of the Black music tree, from reggae to R&B,” she says. The Dotty Show finds her interviewing the artists lighting up Apple Music with the biggest tracks across hip-hop, dancehall, Afrobeats, and everything in between, from the UK and beyond. “It’s wall-to-wall Black music from all across the globe,” she says. “A guided tour of the very best.” Tune in to The Dotty Show every Monday through Thursday on Apple Music 1 at 7 am LA/10 am NYC/3 pm LDN.

Rap isn’t just a genre, it’s a way of life. And Rap Life is where people who live and breathe the culture come for their fix of everything popping in the world of hip-hop. Apple Music's weekly Rap Life show will go beyond our playlist of the same name and even deeper into the culture. You’ll hear from Ebro Darden and other Apple Music personalities in a mix of new music, artist interviews, and conversations about the tracks and trends shaping the state of rap today. If it happened this week in rap, it's on Rap Life, a show on Apple Music 1. Hear it every Friday at 10 a.m. LA, 1 p.m. NY, 6 p.m. LDN.

Every music lover has personal classics that have been forgotten to time. You know the ones—the tracks that take you back to a particular time and place almost as soon as the first notes get played. Whether they were chart-toppers or lost personal favorites, you’ll hear those songs—from all variety of genres—on I Miss Radio. Tune in to Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country to hear the music that left its mark, only on I Miss Radio.

Go back to where it all began with Origin Stories. In each episode, an Apple Music 1 host accompanies stars as they make a revealing return to home turf. “This is intrinsic to our history,” Blossoms singer Tom Ogden tells Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson during a visit to the Alma Lodge Hotel in the band’s hometown of Stockport. “Three of us worked here till 2014. I’d be showing the demos in the cutlery room. I’m feeling waves of nostalgia running through my veins.” Hear formative stories from friends, family and our featured artists that draw on the unique charm, character and inspiration of places they’ve called home—from buzzing cultural hotspots to the quiet charm of the English countryside. Stops in Season 1 include a trip to Stockport with local lads Blossoms (named after a pub on the corner of Bramhall Lane and Buxton Road), plus breaks in Birmingham (with MIST), Manchester (with Pip Millett), Nottingham (with Young T & Bugsey) and more.