Mzansi Celebs

TNS Talks About New Single, “Zodwa Wabantu,” And Upcoming Album

Published

1 year ago

30/04/2023

Addie K

TNS is gearing up to release his new project, “Phupholethu,” which is a follow-up to his debut album, Madlokuvo, which cemented his name as one of the leading South African producer DJs. The all-round musician allowed Zalebs to have an interview with him discussing his new single, and the upcoming album, and in between shared his experience as a new father and partner to his “baby mama.”

The musician’s biography explains his humble beginning by stating that, “Nkazimulo “TNS” Ngema is a Durban-based musician who is originally from Emandeni, KwaZulu-Natal. TNS is a house music producer, vocalist, and songwriter. In his youth, he made the decision to focus on his music career by deciding to move to Kwamashu to further his dreams. Over the years, TNS has created a name for himself through his music production and signwriting skills.”

His big break came in 2017 when the musician helped in producing Prince Kaybee’s summer hit, “Club Controller,” which also featured LaSoulMates and Zanda Zakuaza. His first offering was the 2019 release of his debut album, “Madlokuvo; King of African House,” which spawned hit songs like “Umona,” featuring Mpumi, and “Ayabulela.”

Some of his biggest accomplishments to date include, “His official single “Umona” which went on to reach Gold status and became a charting single which spent over 33 weeks in the top 100 airplay charts and generated over 7 million views on Youtube. “King Madlakovu” surpassed all expectations and lived on streaming charts for a significant amount of time, leading to the album gathering over 5 million streams worldwide.”

This past Friday, TNS released his new single, “Nyathela,” featuring Luqua. The single is one of the last singles that the musician has recorded for his upcoming album. When asked to explain why he decided on “Nyathela” as his new single, he explained that the song was recorded this month of August and it resonated so much that he set the song to be his lead single. Moreover, besides releasing the song as a single, TNS confirmed that he has already shot the visuals for the music video which is set to release “soon.”

But the road to deciding to release “Nyathela,” featuring Luqua was not all smooth sailing. The decision to release the aforementioned single follows after he had to halt the release of the first single he had initially promoted as his new single, “Zodwa Wabantu.” The song was scheduled for a Friday, 18 September 2020, release. With the music video already shot, the two endorsed a competition on social media looking for the graphic designer with the best-designed sleeve to win a cash prize.

The road to the single’s release was paved with comical anecdotes, like the fact that the two had never met until they shot the music video for the single. However, it was at the umpteenth hour, when plans needed to change.

In explaining the situation, the acclaimed producer details that there is no bad blood between him and Zodwa Wabantu. He details that the problem arose when the two parties could not agree on how much to compensate Zodwa Wabantu for having the song named after her because lyrically the song makes no mention or reference to her.

TNS explains that he is a father and the breadwinner of his nuclear family, therefore what will always take priority is fending for his loved ones. As a result, TNS opted to rename the song and will release the song as part of the album with the new name as the song’s official title.

The acclaimed producer when speaking about the upcoming album, “Phuphuletho,” explains that the album was purposefully named after his firstborn child. The album is set to detail his journey so far both in the entertainment industry and the growth he has experienced in his personal life.

In his words he states,

“When I recorded the album I was a father to Phupholethu, I was a baby daddy to Phuphu’s mother and I wrote about that for the album.”

Moreover, he reflects on the solitude in which he created the project in. On social media, he has shared images showcasing him working on songs in the studio that he has created for himself in his living room. Most of the time he states it was just him, his son, and the mother of their child at home while he worked on the album.

The album is set to be a 26-track, double-disc album with 13 tracks per disc. While he has worked with industry heavyweights like DJ Tira on the album, TNS does explain that he consciously worked with up-and-coming talent. He explains that he feels that it is his responsibility to give someone else a leg up, similar to how he was helped in the past.

While fans can enjoy the current single, “Nyathela,” with the visual’s imminent release scheduled. TNS also shared that he is scheduled to release the album for pre-order sales with a new single in November. The single will mark one of the last independent singles to be released from the album, before fans can expect the complete release of the project in January 2021.

When asked what his plans for the rest of the year are, TNS replied with a sense of joy. He explained that,

“I’m booked and busy. I will be gigging and be getting an opportunity to interact with my fans.”

The DJ echoes the sentiments of many live performers that had to stop working because of the restrictions brought on by the Coronavirus.

Before we ended the conversation, it would have been amiss to not ask him about the importance of fostering healthy relationships. The musician is one of the few musicians that live to his word when it comes to letting bygones be bygones or actually mending relationships worth saving.

Therefore in speaking to TNS about the growth he has experienced in his career, he makes it clear that what he is most appreciative of is the relationships he has managed to cultivate throughout his career. He reflects on how he has managed to maintain healthy relationships with friends, family, and fellow popular media personalities by saying,

Source-Zalebs