September 19 marked one month since the tragic death of Ernesto Barajas, the leader of the regional Mexican group Enigma Norteño, who was killed outside Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The musician had been working on a new project with his bandmates, who have decided to release the material as an EP and continue their two-decade-long career.

“We took some time to think and reflect on what happened, and we decided that, despite the irreparable loss of Ernesto, our career will continue,” says Humberto Pérez “Kirri,” bassist and founder of the norteña band, in an exclusive interview with Billboard Español. “It’s something we’re sure he would have wanted.”

“With great pain in our hearts, but full of strength, we will move forward with our musical project that we all worked so hard for,” adds Adán Hernández, bajo quinto player and the group’s backup vocalist.

Titled Las Que Más Nos Gustan and recorded just weeks before Barajas’ passing, the EP — set to be released on November 13 under the Fono label — is a collection of covers of hits by other regional Mexican artists, reimagined in Enigma Norteño’s signature style. The first single, a version of Banda El Recodo’s “La Mejor de Todas,” was released last Tuesday (Sep. 16) as a posthumous tribute to Barajas, who would have turned 39 that day.

The second single, a rendition of Duelo’s “Un Idiota Como Yo,” is set to drop on October 16. Other tracks on the album include “Ya Es Muy Tarde,” originally by La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho; “Fantasía,” a classic by Grupo Costumbre; “Voy a Pintar Mi Raya” by Banda Arkángel R-15; and “Derecho de Antigüedad” by La Original Banda El Limón.

As previously reported by Billboard Español, the regional Mexican genre was in mourning following the murder of Barajas on August 19, leaving the future of Enigma Norteño uncertain. However, the group — known for its narcocorridos like “El Flaquito,” “Quemándose un Gallito (El Rambo)” and “El Chicken Little (El 09)” — has confirmed that not only will it move forward with their planned EP, but the members are also preparing for an upcoming tour, which will feature special guests to be announced soon.

“From now on, our mission will be to take the next step, just as Ernesto always wanted: to bring our music to every corner of Mexico, the United States, and wherever possible,” says Conín Camacho, the group’s drummer. “This will be a tribute, carrying his essence in every performance.”

In the mid-’10s, Twenty One Pilots became one of the biggest crossover acts in pop music, scoring a trio of top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Billboard 200 with its Blurryface album. A decade later, the Pilots hadn’t matched that crossover success on either chart, with no additional top five singles and a number of top five albums, but no subsequent number ones.

That is, until this week. On the Billboard 200 dated Sept. 27, the duo’s latest set Breach — marking the apparently final entry in the decade-long narrative the group started with Blurryface bows at No. 1. The set posts 200k in first-week units, not only besting even its Blurryface total from 2015, but also bettering the debut number from any other rock album yet this decade.

How did the duo manage this performance? And what other rock acts could rival that number in the years to come? Billboard writers answer these questions and more below.

1. Twenty One Pilots’ Breach debuts atop the Billboard 200 with a career-best 200,000 first-week units. On a scale of 1-10, how excited should Twenty One Pilots be about that performance?

Kyle Denis: 10. I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t be over the moon after pulling off a career-best opening week, especially when they debuted 16 years ago. In 2025, cracking 200k first-week is nothing to scoff at for pretty much anyone. And it’s incredibly impressive that Twenty One Pilots did this as a rock act without a current crossover hit. 

Gil Kaufman: 10. For a group that — as they noted at their tour kick-off in Cincinnati last week — has been around for more than 15 years and never knows if its new music will hit, this is a huge deal. Whether you believe the perpetual “rock is dead” mantra or not, rock has been largely missing from the top of the 200 as of late. Landing the biggest debut for any rock LP in six years is a monumental feat for a group whose chart success hasn’t always matched its steady, and still-growing, live appeal.

Jason Lipshutz: A 10. This is a statement opening week — a veteran artist returning with a ton of excitement and a physical-product promo blitz, scoring a notably huge debut number, and reasserting their commercial power unequivocally. Twenty One Pilots have been earning top 5 album debuts for over a decade, but Breach becoming their first chart-topper since Blurryface — which was their mainstream breakthrough in 2015, with their career-best first-week total — is the type of accomplishment that can re-frame the legacy of a group for those who hadn’t been paying close attention. More artists wish they could notch a game-changing No. 1 debut like this one.

Andrew Unterberger: Gotta be a 10, right? A number even half as big would’ve still been pretty impressive for the duo at this point in its career, but 200k with no major hits or pop-cultural momentum behind it? That’s a jaw-dropping number, and one that shows how successfully Twenty One Pilots has tended to its fanbase over the years, making sure that even at times when not many new fans were jumping on that no one old was ever jumping off, and continuing to slowly-but-surely grow the core audience to where it is today.

Christine Werthman: A No. 1 album and some career-best numbers? No-brainer: That should register as a big 10 on the excitement meter. On top of that, this is the biggest debut for a rock album since Tool’s Fear Inoculum in 2019. Does this thing go to 11? 

2. That 200k number is going to be an eye-opener for a lot of people who assumed that the duo’s popularity had declined with its radio dominance. What do you think is the biggest reason the Pilots were able to have such an impressive debut for Breach? 

Kyle Denis: I think there were several factors at play. First, Breach had the luxury of arriving as the final installment in a decade-long album series consisting of Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018) and Sealed and Icy (2021). That hype from fans who have patiently followed the series and unpacked the band’s lore is priceless; it also helps that the duo started dropping teases for Breach during the final dates of the Clancy World Tour. 

Moreover, Breach was available across 15+ vinyl variants, three deluxe CDs and various streaming platforms, giving fans ample opportunity to collect different versions of the record, some of which house bonus tracks or alternative cover art. Finally, 21P’s Josh Dun has been a hot topic across socials, particularly TikTok, thanks to the news of him and wife Debby Ryan (a Disney Channel icon for mid-late Gen Z) expecting their first child. Even if the Breach singles weren’t necessarily crossing over à la “Ride” or “Stressed Out,” the band’s celebrity certainly did. 

Gil Kaufman: The proof is in the band’s live draw. This just-launched tour opened with a 21,000-capacity sell-out of a soccer stadium, with the feeling that it could have been even bigger. This band’s die-hard fans, the Skeleton Clique, not only buy merch in fistfuls, but they came with their own home-brewed gear, knew every lyric to all of the new songs from an album out less than a week, and ride or die for the duo, in an emo-Swiftian fashion.

Jason Lipshutz: A combination of in-demand physical releases — including 15 vinyl variants, which contributed 72,000 copies to that 200,000 total — and music that continues to connect. In addition to Breach wrapping up the multi-album Clancy arc for hardcore fans, the album also included another alternative radio smash in “The Contract,” and set up another arena tour for the duo. While this No. 1 debut is much bigger than expected, Twenty One Pilots is still a very popular band, with a catalog of hits and lots of industry support for their new music. 

Andrew Unterberger: Everybody loves a happy ending, right? Can’t say I could really explain the plot the duo’s albums have (mostly) been following since Blurryface, but the superfans certainly can — and they were definitely looking forward to what the final installment held in store.

Christine Werthman: Sales contributed a large part to the album’s success, thanks to 15 vinyl variants, three deluxe CD boxsets, a standard CD and more available for purchase. The vinyl alone accounted for 72,000 units, which, according to our own Keith Caulfield, makes it the largest vinyl sales week for a rock album since Luminate started electronically tracking in 1991.  

3. “City Walls” debuts at No. 83 on the Hot 100 this week, the only song from the set to reach the chart thus far. Does it feel like it’ll grow into a long-lasting hit for 21P, or is it just an album-release week blip?  

Kyle Denis: I think album-release week certainly helped get the song on the Hot 100, but I’m unsure of how much steam “City Walls” will sustain in the coming weeks. Between the big-budget music video and “Heavydirtysoul” (from Blurryface) sample, this could be the song to get casual 2015-era 21P listeners back on board. For what it’s worth, I’d love a world where “Downstairs” gets the single treatment. 

Gil Kaufman: That is not the song I think will have legs. Based on the response during the show, the wildly catchy “Drum Show” — featuring the first vocals from silent but deadly drummer Josh Dun — or the super-pop (for them) “Garbage” could/should be this LP’s breakout hits.

Jason Lipshutz: “City Walls” might be my favorite Twenty One Pilots single since “Jumpsuit” — it’s spacious, moody, a little bit gritty and a hell of a lot of fun to blast with your windows down on early-autumn drives. A shape-shifting, five-minute alt-rock single is not a safe bet to scale the heights of the Hot 100, but I could certainly envision “City Walls” sticking around rock platforms for a while, as a type of late-career jam that logs month after month in heavy rotation. 

Andrew Unterberger: Put me down as another one who thinks “Drum Show” will ultimately be the song from Breach that really sticks — but “City Walls” is a great album opener, and a worthy first Hot 100 hit from the set, even though I sorta doubt it’ll be hanging around the chart for too long.

Christine Werthman: “The Contract” and “Drum Show” preceded “City Walls” as singles and didn’t do this well, so it seems like a possible good sign that this latest song has more staying power and isn’t a blip. That said, it is the first song on the album, which could explain some of the repeat plays that will eventually taper off. It’s also over five minutes long and isn’t quite as memorable as, say, “Stressed Out,” so I don’t have enormously high hopes for its longevity.  

4. While this is its first No. 1 album in a decade, each of Twenty One Pilots’ four new albums since 2015’s Blurryface have made the chart’s top three. What lessons, if any, would you take from the chart longevity of Twenty One Pilots as an albums act?  

Kyle Denis: Deliver good music, never take your core fan base for granted, and bring your music on the road. 21P had one of the splashiest top 40 crossovers of the mid-2010s, but instead of abandoning its base to continue chasing a mainstream pop audience, the duo remained committed to its sound and ethos. In doing so, their later career hits (“Jumpsuit,” “Level of Concern,” etc.) arrived on their own time without needing to be chased down. Furthermore, since launching the Blurryface Tour in 2015, there have only been two calendar years (2020 and 2023) during which 21P was not carrying out a headlining tour. Getting your music in front of consumers and connecting with them on a face-to-face level will always be important! 

Gil Kaufman: See previous about their Clique. Like Phish or Taylor Swift or The Dead, 21P have created a universe for their fans that is a self-sustaining mechanism, even if the hugeness of it doesn’t always translate into huge chart success. From grade-schoolers who paint their faces and hands black like singer Tyler Joseph — along with their parents — to groups of friends who show up in costumes modeled on the knotty four-album Blurryface epic saga, 21P have forged an ecosystem that may not always spin off hits, but will seemingly always bring out masses of superfans. The die hards will always check out the new music, but the proof is in the foot traffic.

Jason Lipshutz: While bands like My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park played to huge audiences this summer after prolonged breaks in activity, Twenty One Pilots have taken the opposite approach, grinding out albums and tours and making consistency part of their brand. The mainstream explosion of Blurryface was always going to be hard to replicate, and to their credit, the duo haven’t really tried chasing more hits — they’ve simply followed their muse, made for a reliable radio and touring band, and set themselves up for a commercial renaissance when the time and music was right. 

Andrew Unterberger: I’ll always think back to 2018, when the duo was readying Blurryface follow-up Trench, and they tabbed the bass-freakout, near-metal throwdown “Jumpsuit” as the set’s first single. In the short term, the song basically immediately ended the duo’s run as crossover stars, but in the long term, perhaps it helped establish Joseph and Dun as artists who followed their own muse above all else, and who trusted their fans would understand even when radio and streaming didn’t. Looking back in 2025, you can’t say they haven’t been validated there.

Christine Werthman: For Twenty One Pilots, it seems like if they release it, the fans will come; they’ve got a loyal fanbase that shows up for their releases. It’s not quite a replicable lesson for other acts, but it seems to hold up, considering the band’s success, even when they aren’t popping off on radio. As for any other important takeaways, what about: rock fans love vinyl? Eh? An untested theory, but perhaps.

5. The first-week total for Breach is the highest debut for a Billboard charts-classified rock act so far this decade. Who’s another rock outfit that you could see outdoing that number by decade’s end?  

Kyle Denis: If all goes according to my plan and Imagine Dragons headlines the Super Bowl halftime show before 2030 — and launches a new album in conjunction with the performance — my money’s on them. 

Gil Kaufman: If they were inclined to do so, the reunited Oasis could smash the charts in a massive way with their first album in nearly two decades, given the rabid response to their hell-froze-over comeback.

Jason Lipshutz: If My Chemical Romance ever decides to pair a stadium tour with its first new album in over a decade, watch out — the commercial returns will be astronomical. We’ve got four years and change left of the 2020s. Let’s make it happen, boys.

Andrew Unterberger: Sleep Token is already pretty close — give the band another album or two and 200,000 may very well be within striking distance.

Christine Werthman: I think Sombr has big potential for big numbers. He gets my vote. 

HYBE has established a subsidiary in India, HYBE INDIA ENTERTAINMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, expanding its global footprint into the world’s second most populous country and a fast-growing recorded music and touring market. The office is located in Mumbai, home to the country’s Bollywood film industry, marking HYBE’s fifth headquarters outside of South Korea — joining Japan, the U.S., Latin America and China. 

“With approximately 185 million users, India’s music streaming market is the second-largest in the world, making it the perfect market to implement our growth strategy,” HYBE said in a statement. “The remarkable rise of K-pop in India highlights the country’s potential as a major market, and we are excited to expand our presence.”

India was the 15th largest recorded music market in 2024 with revenue of $364 million, according to the IFPI, but it could grow much larger in the coming years. With a population of over 1.4 billion, India’s per-capita revenue was $0.22, below other countries the IFPI deems “high-potential growth markets,” such as China ($1.12), Brazil ($2.71), Mexico ($4.12) and Chile ($5.25). 

HYBE INDIA will implement the K-pop method of artist development that involves auditions for groups and long-term training. The Indian division will also support the regional activities of HYBE artists, which could open up new touring possibilities in the country. As Billboard reported in April, India now regularly hosts huge concerts by local artists as well as international acts such as Coldplay, which played to 223,000 fans in two shows at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

HYBE’s efforts outside of South Korea reveal what the company has in store for India. In the U.S., HYBE partnered with Geffen Records to stream the audition for girl group KATSEYE and develop a show for Netflix, Popstar Academy: KATSEYE, that introduced the group to audiences. Similarly, HYBE Latin America is producing an audition reality series that will culminate this fall in the announcement of a five-member boy band. 

Vince Gill debuts two versions of his classic, poignant track “Go Rest High on That Mountain” on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart.

“Go Rest High on That Mountain (Extended Version)” bows at No. 5 on the list dated Sept. 27 with 2,000 downloads sold in the week ending Sept. 18, according to Luminate. The updated cut, which Gill performed with Lainey Wilson during the Sept. 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, broadcast on CBS, gives Gill his second-highest showing yet on the tally (which began in 2010), behind his collaboration with Maren Morris, “Dear Hate,” which led for a week in 2017.

Meanwhile, the original “Go Rest High on That Mountain” joins the new mix in the Country Digital Song Sales top 10 at No. 8, up 242% to 1,000 sold. Released in 1995, the track reached No. 14 that December on Hot Country Songs, where Gill boasts 28 top 10s, including five No. 1s.

The extended release coincides with the song’s 30th anniversary and introduces a third verse that Gill first shared live at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in 2019. He began writing the track in 1989 following the death of country star Keith Whitley, completing it years later after the passing of Gill’s brother. The result was a career-defining ballad that went on to earn multiple Grammy Awards and one that has remained a cornerstone of his catalog.

While fans have heard the additional lyrics in concert over the past several years, the new version marks the first time they’ve been available in a studio recording. The release adds fresh perspective to a song that has endured as both a personal tribute and a country standard.

It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here.

Ciza always knew his time to rule would come. His father Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza co-founded TS Records in 2001 with Sbusiso Leope, a radio DJ and TV presenter better known as DJ Sbu. And his mother Nhlanhla Mafu served as the lead vocalist for the Afropop group Mafikizolo, whose 2013 international hit “Khona,” featuring fellow South African kwaito group Uhuru, won record of the year at the South Africa Music Awards and song of the year at the MTV Africa Music Awards in 2014, while Mafikizolo earned a best international act: Africa nomination at the BET Awards later that year.

But the artist and DJ born Nkululeko Nciza hasn’t let the “nepo baby” stereotype affect his ascent. “Where I’m from, they’ve just embraced the fact that I’m from a musical [family]. For them, it’s like music royalty,” Ciza tells Billboard. 

After performing in high school competitions with his rap group KIC (Kids in the City), Ciza went solo at age 18 and released his debut record, “House Party,” which grew popular among the local high schools. “I kind of had a child star moment,” he recalls.

The following year, he booked a one-way flight to Atlanta, Ga. to attend Morehouse College to study business entertainment, but the pandemic derailed his plans. And Afrobeats’ global dominance made Ciza switch gears. “That’s when I was like, ‘Rap is not my thing anymore. I want to do Afrobeats,’” he says. “Afrobeats was taking over the world at the time. I was like, ‘OK, amapiano is the biggest thing in South Africa. But the people who are really doing it for me and carving actual superstars were in West Africa.’”

After releasing the singles “Come Alive” and “Adje” in 2020, Ciza started making a name for himself a year later when he collaborated with South African superproducer and amapiano pioneer DJ Maphorisa (whose former group Uhuru produced his mother’s group Mafikizolo’s “Khona” smash) on the prosperous Afrobeats-meets-amapiano record “Bank Notification,” which was later included on Ciza’s debut EP that year, Golden Boy Pack. But with COVID-19 “[slowing] down the momentum,” he says, and Ciza struggling to find his sound in the market, he took a brief hiatus from releasing music.

“This is when I fell in love with DJing and Afro house,” Ciza says. At the time, 3-step – South Africa’s latest dance music genre that is named after its signature three-kick drum rhythm and blends Afro tech, amapiano and broken beat – was bubbling, and Ciza was determined to put his own spin on it. With the help of producer Jazzworx and singer Thukuthela, Ciza created an international hit with “Isaka (6am)” in April.

“‘Isaka (6am)’ is basically a prayer, me asking God, ‘Yo, I wanna become a better man for my son. I want to become a better man for my family. But I also want to live my dreams. Let this hustle be fruitful, and may people see my talent,’” he explains.

The word “isaka” directly translates to the bag in Zulu. As for the 6 a.m. timestamp in the title, it either represents the time one gets home after a long day (and night) of work, or when one returns after spending their hard-earned money at the club. Either way, Ciza has played “Isaka” in the club at 6 a.m. and even later, “and in different parts of the world, too,” he chuckles.

“My real name is a Xhosa name, Nkululeko, which means freedom. And I think that’s my purpose in the music industry: When I step on stage, when I’m on the mic, I just want people to feel free and set them free from whatever pain or heartbreak or bad thing,” Ciza says. “You can have a hit record that people can just sing along to, but having a spiritual song that heals is also a blessing.”

“Isaka (6am)” spent nine weeks atop the South Africa Songs chart and has earned 81.5 million official global streams, according to Luminate (through Sept. 18). And with the help of some marquee DJs, and thoughtfully curated remixes, “Isaka (6am)” has also taken over the European scene. Black Coffee played the “Vanco Mix – In Joburg” version during his residency at Hï Ibiza while Ciza was behind the booth with him. And Keinmusik’s Rampa and Adam Port played the then-unreleased Major League Djz, Kidflo and Kotto remix at Brunch Electronik in Madrid and at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud in Paris.

“This is the Renaissance period in African music, and personally, I’m so happy to be a part of it,” says Ciza. “People used to say, ‘Africa is next.’ I really do think it’s now.”

Billboard spoke with September’s African Rookie of the Month about recording “Isaka (6am),” manifesting a collaboration with Omah Lay before he and Tems hopped on “Isaka II,” and Jimmy Iovine being an unexpected guest at his dinner with Black Coffee in Ibiza. 

How much did your parents’ career paths in the music industry impact you to carve out your own?

I saw my dad literally build superstars from home. He had so many different local South African superstars living with us growing up, [like the late Afro-soul star Zahara]. That definitely gave me a lot of drive, seeing all of these people go from zeroes to heroes, and some sort of dream of, “OK, this is actually possible.”

From my mother, it was her stardom, her effort in making sure she is the best version of herself, and the amount of time she would spend on her craft. My mother used to make me dance at family gatherings. She would make sure I do school concerts and dance competitions because she always said, “My son, there’s something in you.”  

Considering your father is your manager, what’s the most important lesson he’s taught you about the business that has stuck with you till this day?

You have to want it the most. For you to be the best, you have to be the hardest working because there’s a lot of competition out there. There’s a kid who’s hungrier than you. Always showing up is the biggest lesson that my dad instilled in me. 

What kind of music were you listening to growing up, and how did that inspire you to make the music you make today?

My parents had a lot of DVDs, and I used to always watch [Michael Jackson’s] This Is It documentary. My mother would work a lot with West African artists, and she put me onto Wizkid, which is one of my favorite artists of all time. Seeing him break African music in the world at that time was amazing, especially when Drake hopped on his record. I was like, “OK, Africans can actually become global superstars.” And my mother’s group showed me how far our music can travel.

Later on in my teens, I fell in love with hip-hop. At the time, Migos was a big thing, really the whole Atlanta hip-hop scene. We all used to want to be Migos, and at school, we would dress like them. As I got more mature, I started coming back home and making Afrobeats. When I took a break, all of the history and all of the things I’ve been exposed to, all of that data collected, becomes one. [I’m] just an African dance music guy who has a lot of influences. The biggest one is also Drake. Drake taught me how to commercialize things — how do you make it sellable”

And what kind of music do you listen to now?

Afrobeats, alternative music, amapiano. I like The Notorious B.I.G., Odeal, Doja Cat. I love pop, too. Justin [Bieber] is one of my favorite artists of all time, because he knows how to blend everything. I’m very versatile with my ear.

How did you sign to LVRN? And why was that the right decision for you?

I met Tunde [Balogun, CEO/co-founder] in 2022. He came down to South Africa looking for new, fresh talent. I was always in the shadows, but he always saw stardom in me. He was like, “OK, I know you’re making Afrobeats and it’s cool, but you need something that’s going to represent you and fit your story. You have to just find it.”

LVRN believed in me before the big song. [Laughs] In this day and age, every label is looking for the hit. They don’t look at artist development. They’re just looking for numbers. But for me, they were people who didn’t mind sacrificing the time for artist development.

Take me back through the making of “the big song,” “Isaka (6am).”

I was in every single studio you could find in South Africa. But I couldn’t find the right people to work with. I hit [Jazzworx] up. There was a lot of people in that session ‘cause they said, “Yo, Ciza’s coming.” And I hate working with a million people in the studio. I kind of had to be rude and ask people to leave. They left, and it was just me, him and Thukuthela. Jazz started making the beat and I was like, “Yo, don’t do too much. Try to simplify that. Make the bass a bit like this.”

Then I started writing. I was so nervous maybe because I knew the song was a prayer. As soon as I hopped on the mic, magic just came out of me. It was a very spiritual and memorable moment. As soon as I stopped recording, we looked at each other and were like, “OK, this is something.” Thukuthela comes in and brings in the dancing part, but the song was super full. I had to tell them, “Guys, let’s simplify it because it’s also dance music.” At some point, people do just want to listen to the beat and be in the spirit. That was the creative process.

Later comes the promo side of things. I started shooting TikToks, and I actually gave the song to a friend of mine and was like, “Yo, play this when you’re just chilling with the girls or whatever.” She played it. That video went crazy, had a million views, people started tagging me. I took another video. When I woke up, my life changed. The song became super huge, but it was unreleased. That’s when I gave the label a call and was like, “Yo, guys, I’ve got one.” And the rest is history.

@cizarioo

ISAKA DC can’t wait to see y’all do it 🥹🫶🏾🔥🔥🔥 #ciza #isaka #dancechallenge #HappyEaster #3step #afrohouse #trending

♬ original sound – CIZA

When you posted on Instagram about what you learned on your 24th birthday last month, you wrote that you “learned you cannot make Ciza money when I received a cease & desist from the SA Reserve Bank.” What happened?

At the time, [the “Isaka (6am)” music video had] 10 or 15 million views. I was like, “Yo, guys, this is part of me being a patriotic citizen, showcasing South African money.” And they were like, “Yeah, you can’t put your face on it. We’re gonna take you to court.” We had a discussion with the label [hoping] switching it up on YouTube didn’t affect the views. That was my biggest thing because I spent so much money and time and sweat on the video just for it to be taken down. It felt like sabotage. But because I work with some of the best people, we figured out a way to replace that scene and not affect the [views].

How did you get Tems and Omah Lay on “Isaka II”?

The crazy part is I’ve always wanted to work with [Omah] from my Afrobeats days. I met him two years ago when he came to South Africa for a show. He was there with his whole team and security, and I took a chance and walked up to him. His security was like, “No, no, no, no.” And then he saw me and was like, “No, let him go.” I went to him and started talking to him like, “Yo, dude, you’re like a spiritual healer. Your music is so beautiful and I resonate with it. I’m gonna work with you one day.” It was a manifestation. He kept saying, “Yeah, dude, I see the record you had with Maphorisa. Keep going, but go find yourself, too. Don’t just say you’re gonna work with me. I don’t know if you’re gonna work with me, but just keep going.”

Two years later, [“Isaka (6am)”] blows up and I receive a DM from him while I’m on the road. He’s like, “Dude, this song feels so spiritual.” I was like, “You should actually hop on it.” He sent me a [voice note] 10 minutes later. I was like, “Oh, he definitely wrote this verse a week before.” And he actually fits so well, it feels like me and him were in the same room. With Tems, she never does remixes. But at the time, Omah Lay and Tems had the same manager, Muyiwa. He played it for her like, “Hey, this song is so beautiful and this artist is a hard worker from South Africa. I’ve not seen this in a long time.” I think Tems liked that. When I was in Nigeria, I met up with Muyiwa and he put me on a call with her.

But at the time, she didn’t put down the verse. She was like, “Enjoy the moment and move with the song.” Which is so ironic, because when you listen to the song, the first lyric she says is, “I’m ready.” I feel like it was direct communication between me and her. She just goes in and speaks about doing music your own way, which is the perfect message for the song and for African music — like the collaboration between West and South Africa.

You’ve also released regional remixes of “Isaka (6am)” for Beirut, Joburg, Ghana and Miami. What inspired that release strategy?

Europe was buzzing about the song, and it was a business decision for me to be like, “Ciza, you do want to play in Ibiza one day. You do want to play in Mykonos as much as you want to be on a Grammy stage. So why not hit two birds with one stone?” As I was going to Europe, I started releasing these Afro house remixes with Vanco, who is an amazing DJ blowing up like crazy in the European scene. I was like, “Let me release a remix pack with different sounds from different places in the world.” When you’re in Miami and you’re in a house club, they’ll play that. Black Coffee invited me to Ibiza just to experience that moment with him. And I think it’s because of the decision I made to make the song relatable in every form and way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CIZA (@ciza.sa)

How did Black Coffee reach out to you, and what was it like to hear “Isaka” in Ibiza?

I was in London, and he invited me and my team to Ibiza. We went there and my dad was like, “Coffee wants to see you.” I was like, “Oh, Dad, I thought I’m just gonna see him at the show.” [Coffee] invited me to a dinner. When [my dad and I] get to the dinner – this is one of the craziest stories – they’re like, “OK, this is Black Coffee’s table.” Jimmy Iovine is there with his wife, just chilling. I’m like, “Wait, am I in the right spot?” He’s like, “Oh, you’re the kid!” [Coffee] was an hour late, so we’re just there chilling with Jimmy Iovine and his wife and he’s just giving me so much game.

[Coffee] came later, and because his girlfriend really loves the record, we just kept singing it throughout the whole dinner. Later on, we went to his residency at Hï and his girlfriend grabbed me toward the stage to say, “Yo, go, go, go.” I’m like, “What’s going on?” She’s like, “He’s about to play your song!” And then he’s like, “Ciza, Ciza!” and plays the song. The whole crowd went crazy. Surreal moment, very beautiful moment.

Is there one particular piece of advice that Jimmy told you during that dinner that stood out to you?

I’m a singer and a DJ/producer. How do I combine the two worlds? He’s like, “People will adapt to you. That’s what’s gonna make you special. There’s no rules to this as long as it feels right.” That’s the best thing I took from him, and also that greatness takes dedication.  

The “Isaka (6am)” remix with Major League Djz, Kidflo and Kotto dropped earlier this month. How did you reconnect with Major League Djz four years after you collaborated with them and Abidoza on “Carolina” from your Golden Boy Pack EP?

Major League Djz have always supported me. When I started posting videos of myself DJing, they were sending me music to play. And when I finally dropped [“Isaka”], they were going crazy in Europe playing the song. I released other remixes, but they were like, “Ciza, we have the right remix.” Their remix was going crazy. Keinemusik was playing it. I was like, “OK, I’m sorry guys for taking time.” And then I dropped it with them. It’s doing really well, especially in the Afro house community.

Who would you love to collaborate with next?

Wizkid. I definitely want to work with Tyla. I think Drake on a 3-step record would be so beautiful. I want to work with Tems on something different, like something very Afro house. I’d like to work with Rema, too.

What’s next for Ciza in 2025?

Ciza’s Palace the album is coming out. I’m just gonna bring everyone into my world. It’s very spiritual, it’s very fun, it evokes a lot of emotions. I recorded the music in different parts of Africa and London and with so many different people. I’m also innovating how people view dance music. I’m breaking so many rules with it.