“My breakthrough was in 2021, and I came in as a young and naive little girl,” South African singer-songwriter Nomfundo Moh tells Apple Music. “Now [in 2024], I’m at a point where I’m able to stand up for myself, fully express myself and still walk this journey of life.” Moh’s Twenty Four represents this coming of age and an embrace of both inward and outward discovery. “I don’t have everything figured out yet,” she says. “But I’m here to be a voice singing for everyone to keep on going.” This welcoming of life lessons extends to how the artist, born Nomfundo Ngcobo, approached collaboration and the exploration of new sounds on her third album. “I allowed myself to listen to others and actually observe their creativity,” she shares. “This time, I was open to new ideas and seeing how people could contribute towards the album and actually help me grow.” The result is a refreshed take on Moh’s unique brand of Afropop that fills soulful layers with smatterings of amapiano, hip-hop, R&B and maskandi. “It’s a beautiful fusion,” she says. “You’ll hear a lot of the Afropop sound, but I don’t just stick to that because I want people to know that I’m an all-round, versatile artist.” Below, Nomfundo Moh gives a track-by-track breakdown of Twenty Four. “Abantu” “‘Abantu’ has a very sombre sound to start off with. It’s a song I wrote thinking about how things usually turn out in love. People end up breaking up, not because they don’t love each other anymore but because of others. Most of the time we let people interfere in our love affairs and the two involved parties end it because they allowed people to intervene in their relationship.” “Gamalakhe” (feat. Thando Zide, Starr Healer & Nontokozo Mkhize) “‘Gamalakhe’ translates to ‘his name’. This one has four queens coming with their own perspective of what their partners expect, in terms of what they prefer to be called. Some people prefer ‘sweetheart’ and some would like to be called ‘phakade lami’. This song emphasises the fact that partners don’t want to be called by their real names. It’s becoming a pattern with my love songs, that sometimes they sound like gospel. I think it’s because, in my book, showing love to someone means respecting them, or worshipping them, in a way.” “Umusa” (feat. Msaki & Cassper Nyovest) “This one is really dedicated to the almighty. It’s a beautiful, spiritual piece about being grateful for life and being grateful for opportunities that we’ve been granted. When you listen you’ll have a sense of staying grounded. You’ll understand that even though you haven’t achieved everything you want to, you should be grateful for what you do have ’cause you didn’t have it yesterday.” “Muntu Wami” (feat. Zuko SA) “This is a wedding song for when you’re actually claiming your person in front of everyone, and unapologetically so. I sang it from a female perspective and Zuko sang it from a male perspective so both parties can participate in the song. You’re telling everyone that you want to see your lover before sunset so by the time you walk through the altar you’ll be with the love of your life.” “Uyazkhohlwa” (feat. Boohle) “A fun fusion of Afropop and amapiano! There are many ways of losing yourself, and people try to change who we know them to be just to try and fit in. We love people for who they are so this is a reminder to everyone not to forget themselves. Sticking to your roots falls under that umbrella.” “Umcimbi” (feat. MaWhoo & Inkosi Yamagcokama) “This is Afropop, maskandi and a bit of amapiano. It’s a vibey song rejoicing and celebrating love. It’s a song you can play at any event that’s love related and be fully in the occasion with everyone around you.” “Phambili” (feat. NaXion Cross) “This life thing sometimes becomes dark and it makes us hopeless, so ‘Phambili’ is somehow sad. We talk about our struggles and the song is meant to give us that extra push to not give up. It’s a prayer for when I need the strength to move forward. It doesn’t help to just dwell on the sorrows because I want to be closer to my dreams and closer to the light.” “Ngsayozama” “This one for the hustlers or anyone who wants to do something great for themselves. It’s for anyone who wants to try again and give life another chance. We see a pattern of me encouraging people from disadvantaged areas to try and make something of themselves. On my first album, I had ‘Soft Life’ where we’re knocking on closed doors to get a soft life. For some people, that means popping bottles in the club, and for others it’s just shelter and a stable job. There are many ways of describing a soft life, and there are many ways of trying to make life better—what matters is you waking up with that ambition.” “Bayavuya” “I no longer live in KZN where I grew up, and I’m now in Joburg because I want to work hard so I can provide for my whole family. I tend to ask myself if my parents are proud of me. Parents have the power to grant you blessings, so are they happy with what I’m doing? I believe in taking time to reflect and trying to see if I’m still on the right track. I want to make sure that everything that I do is in sync with what my family wishes for me.” “Xola” “The final song is about seeking peace. I believe society would be peaceful if everyone would be content with where they are. I wrote this with the help of Mpilo Manyathi and I’m pleading for peace between me and whoever may be my enemy, whether I know them or not. Sometimes, when a person doesn’t wish you well, a lot of things may not go accordingly in your life. This one also has a link with ‘Izibusiso’ on Amagama because there I’m wishing myself well and here I’m wishing for everyone to be as equally blessed, for peace’s sake.”