Cape Town-based alternative R&B singer-songwriter, Yamiko, has been named the next recipient of Apple Music’s Up Next program for August, a local version of their global emerging artist platform which they launched early in 2021. “I’m so grateful to be selected as Apple Music’s Up Next Artist for South Africa,” she tells Apple Music.” It’s amazing to be acknowledged for the hard work that goes into making the music. I love what I do, and I hope people can feel that when listening to this project.”

Over the course of the last four years, Yamiko has carved out a space in the saturated realm of alternative R&B in South Africa that is all her own, courtesy of her powerful lyrics, and amplified by her captivating music videos. 

Her new EP, Rear View Mirror (2024), available to stream on Apple Music, is a deeply personal collection of five tracks that offers a profound exploration of self-discovery and relationship dynamics. It also challenges traditional storytelling conventions, as the tracklist unfolds in reverse chronological order, with the final song marking the beginning of Yamiko’s journey and the first track serving as its culmination. With songwriter and producer, Lordkeyyz (real name Daniel Williams), serving as the executive producer on this EP, Yamiko has taken her signature blend of R&B and merged it with experimental soundscapes that showcases her artistic versatility and depth.

As the newest Up Next artist to be spotlighted in South Africa, Yamikol will be featured across Apple Music’s South African Up Next playlist https://apple.co/3eITdJd. The curated Up Next playlist features a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world.The playlist is genre agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience. 

The vast global Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Fousheé and Tems.