Today (November 13th), Masego releases his new EP, Studying Abroad, via EQT Recordings and Capitol Records. The project sees Masego walk the listener through every phase of a relationship, from its blissful beginnings to its tragic ending. Sonically, the six-track collection explores uncharted territory with sampling from an international palette of sounds and styles.
Featuring friends and collaborators alike such as D’Mile (Usher), Jack Dine (Stormzy), Jonah Christian (Nicki Minaj), IzyBeats (Mala Rodríguez) and Kojo Asamoah (Ari Lennox), who have their own unique sounds and influences, the EP shows a new and reflective side of the “musical polyglot” (LA Times). Additionally, the project features industry heavyweights like Don Toliver, the Travis Scott co-signed Houston rapper, and Shenseea, the “Jamaican princess of Dancehall” (The Guardian). Studying Abroad is Masego’s most ambitious, enjoyable effort to date.
The visual for “Mystery Lady” ft. Don Toliver is out today. Masego’s intoxicating vocals set the mood as he walks through a tropical paradise pursuing his mysterious love.
Previous singles from Studying Abroad include “Mystery Lady” ft. Don Toliver (“trading aspirations about their respective dream ladies over a minced and muggy guitar line” – FADER), “Silver Tongue Devil” ft. Shenseea (“seductive” – Teen Vogue), and “Passport” (“a bittersweet anti-pandemic sentiment made palatable with his smooth voice – NPR Music). The singles have already accumulated nearly 10M global streams combined across platforms.
To celebrate the release, Masego will perform a special live-streamed set of songs off Studying Abroad. Tune in on Tuesday, November 17th at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET via YouTube for Masego’s “trance-like” (Earmilk) stage presence.
Studying Abroad is the official follow up to Lady Lady, Masego’s 2018 debut that firmly put the singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist on the map – or, all over the map, to be precise: In the two years since its release, Masego has toured the world, headlining sold-out tours and starring on festival stages across every continent but Antarctica. The album was no less of a success with listeners: “Tadow,” the lead single, has surpassed half a billion streams and been certified gold by the RIAA; that same song has been used in over two million videos creates on TikTok; and the project cemented him as a name to watch in the burgeoning generation of like-minded Black musicians, with features and collaborations across marquee projects from the likes of Kehlani, Dreamville, KAYTRANADA and more.
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