Introducing MOE: South Africa’s Upcoming R&B Darling
R&B is steadily becoming home to some of South Africa's most promising talents, and MOE is up next. Making a notable debut with her single “It Was A Vibe” the 25-year-old introduces us to her melodic and vast vocal range over R&B, Soul, Jazz, and Pop beats.
Her first single takes a strong POV on knowing when a romantic interaction has passed its due date, and the importance of choosing yourself even when it’s hard. “And no I’m not a quitter, but I know when to give up,” she proclaims.
For the budding singer-songwriter, her love affair with music dates all the way back to the age of 10, when she featured on a track with gospel artist Tebs David. For over 10 years, MOE has been laying the foundation for this very moment- where she would be ready to introduce the world to who she is as both an artist and a woman.
For any artist trying to cut through the noise in 2022, two things are essential; a good understanding of the social media landscape, and an engaged community that will spread the gospel of your music and why people should care in the first place. MOE’s over 300,000 TikTok followers do just that. Initially gaining popularity through covers and stitches on the short form video app, MOE’s growing audience meant there was a community who had already developed an appetite for the songstress before she even put out her first release.
Since its release, the single has earned MOE co-signs from BBC 1xtra, Blxckie, as well as a scholarship to pursue her Masters' in Music at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. MOE lets us know that more music is in the works, specifically a full-length EP produced by multi-award-winning South African musician, JR Africa.
Maglera Doe Boy takes us to his hometown of Makazana to reflect on his past life, multicultural upbringing, and why community is such an important part of his enviable rise in the South African music industry.