Nens’ debut single Storm arrives at a time when the instrumental side of African music is finally getting the attention it deserves. The charts are still dominated by vocalists and hitmakers, of course, but alongside them, a quieter revolution has been unfolding: producers and instrumentalists creating work that exists entirely on its own terms. No hooks to latch onto, no choruses to sing back, just sound that commands attention through texture, rhythm, and subtlety alone. Storm suggests Nens has thought carefully about how to enter that conversation.
The single dropped last Friday as two tracks, Vibes and Champion, totaling just over nine minutes. Both are purely instrumental, moving fluidly between Afro-Jazz, Amapiano, and electronic textures, with production that is remarkably assured for a first release. Storm doesn’t sound like an artist figuring things out. It sounds like Nens has been refining her sound privately, waiting until it was ready to be shared.
“Vibes” is the more jazz-inflected of the two. Smooth percussion forms the foundation while piano and guitar trade phrases over drums with that slightly off-centre push that makes good jazz feel alive. The arrangement doesn’t crowd itself; each element has space to breathe, and it’s in that space that the track comes alive. The interplay between keys and guitar sounds like a conversation, each phrase responding to the last, keeping the four-and-a-half minutes moving without dramatic shifts or abrupt changes. It simply settles into its groove, elegant and measured, gliding in a way that almost feels classical in its poise.
“Champion” goes somewhere different. It opens with a calm bass, low in the mix, before soft strings and electronic layers gradually reveal a pulse closer to house and Amapiano than jazz. The track takes its time to unfold, creeping along patiently, rewarding the listener willing to lean in. Nothing jumps out immediately, but by the time the music fully exhales, you’ve been drawn into it without quite noticing when it happened. The transition from “Vibes” to “Champion” feels seamless, two movements of a single statement rather than two separate songs.
What’s striking about Storm is the way Nens introduces herself. There’s no persona-first rollout, no reliance on visuals or narrative to sell the music. The cover art is abstract, the name is a single word, the music is instrumental, and everything about the release signals that the sound itself is the point. Nine minutes as an opening statement is confident and well-judged.
Listeners might expect vocals at first, but by the time they realize there are none, they are already immersed, entranced by the music, their bodies moving to the rhythm without conscious thought. The melodies, textures, and interplay carry you through, subtle and patient, yet wholly engaging. For anyone following the instrumental side of Afro-Fusion, Nens and Storm are names worth adding to the playlist.
