Mlindo the Vocalist’s Lindokuhle is a master class in concise songwriting and delivery. “I started working on the album during lockdown. Most of it was recorded then, but by the time I finished it, the country was open,” the Johannesburg-based artist tells Apple Music. The result is an album that’s equal parts triumph and tribulation. Despite its relatively short runtime, Lindokuhle features a motley crew of collaborators while ruminating on topics such as love, millennial hedonism, home, and hope. Half seance, half ambush, Lindokuhle is an album about the collision of history and the future. Here, Mlindo the Vocalist breaks down each track. “Luselude” (feat. Sjava) “This is essentially a letter to my mother. When lockdowns first started, I was anxious about the fact that I couldn’t make a living because I couldn’t perform. It was difficult not being able to provide for my family, like I usually do. Sjava would often send me messages wishing me luck and telling me to keep my head above the water. When the lockdowns were finally lifted, Sjava told me he had an idea for a song, so we went into the studio to write this. In the end, the song also served as motivation for me. It felt like a way of saying, ‘Even if I can’t provide for my family right now, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.’” “Jumaima” (feat. Ishmael) “When I first broke into the industry, in 2018, I had a list of legends I was determined to work with. Ishmael was one of them. In 2020, we were introduced to each other, and that’s how we came to make this song. I needed someone who could give it an old-school R&B vibe, and he was perfect for it. ‘Jumaima’ is actually my younger cousin’s name. She’d always wanted me to make a song that shouts her out, so this is it. It’s not directly addressed to her because it’s a love song, but I still wanted to give her a shout-out.” “Umuzi Wethu” (feat. Madumane) “We all have that uncle in our family—the wild uncle who just can’t be controlled by anyone. The song is about that type of uncle and how he should be ashamed of himself for not taking care of his kids or the rest of the family. At some point in the song, I give an example of wanting to pay lobola but not trusting your uncle to be part of the delegation because he’d mess things up. It’s that kind of a vibe.” “Lotto” (feat. Ami Faku) “‘Lotto’ was also recorded during lockdown. There came a time in the middle of lockdown that I felt trapped. I felt like I was boxed in and that my life wasn’t in my hands anymore. I was being told where I could go, what time I should be back home, and what I could and couldn’t do. I felt like I needed an escape. I had a conversation with Ami, and she told me she’d been feeling the same. At some point, we were talking about how amazing it would be to live another life or someone else’s life entirely. That eventually led to the themes we discuss in ‘Lotto.’” “Impil’Imile” (feat. Nue_Sam) “‘Impil’Imile’ is about when you’re in a relationship, and you’re always taking advice from your boys and spending time with them instead of your significant other. So, it’s about a guy who’s tripping; he’s doing all this clubbing with his boys until the lady in the relationship can’t take it anymore. It’s only when the lady bounces that the guy realizes he messed up a good thing. His life loses direction because he’s lost a woman that was good to him.” “Thath’Icard Lami” (feat. Masiano) “‘Thath’Icard Lami’ isn’t about flexing. It’s about meeting a girl you’re 100 percent sure of. And being so certain about her that you give her your bank card so she can go on a night out with her girls and spoil herself. Some people might find it weird, but it’s a song about assurance—knowing you’ve found the one and treating her like it.” “Ama2000” (feat. Masiano & Meez) “I was addressing the youngsters on this one. We have a generation of children who don’t really want to listen to their elders, who are always out clubbing and never at the house. ‘Ama2000’ was my way of saying, ‘This is what we’re dealing with, and these are the children we’re raising.’” “Kuyeza Ukukhanya” (feat. Mthunzi) “The message here is similar to ‘Luselude.’ It’s about perseverance. The song is about that feeling you get when things aren’t going your way and you feel like you’re a disappointment. There’s a part in the song where I talk about someone who isn’t doing too well at school, and because of that, he feels like he’s letting his family down. The message is to keep your head up and that there are better days ahead.” “Shiwele” “This song is an affirmation. It interpolates Bojo Mujo’s ‘Shiwelele,’ and it’s like a letter to all the artists who came before me. I’m saying thanks for the inspiration, but I’m also cementing my place and saying, ‘I’m here.’”