Rwanda’s music scene has delivered a mix of chart-topping collaborations, dance records and romantic melodies in 2026, with established stars and emerging artistes competing for listeners’ attention. Producer and singer Element EleéeH has been particularly prominent, with his collaboration with Kenya’s Bien and Uganda’s Joshua Baraka, “AYAYAAH,” topping Popnable’s Rwanda music-video chart on several occasions in September. Drawing on publicly available music-video charts, streaming playlists and entertainment reporting, The New Times looks at songs that have attracted attention in 2026. Urare – Titi Brown ft Peace Jolis, Magna Romeo, Luna, Kenny Mirasano and Fox Makare Professional dancer and choreographer Thierry Ishimwe, popularly known as Titi Brown, ventured into music with “Urare,” a song celebrating Rwanda’s beauty, culture and hospitality. Released on June 29, the song brings together Peace Jolis, Magna Romeo, Luna, Kenny Mirasano and Fox Makare, blending traditional Rwandan influences with contemporary sounds. The video features personalities including The Ben, Chriss Eazy, Kevin Kade, Mariya Yohana, Papi Clever, Dorcas and actor Seburikoko. “Urare” crossed one million YouTube views within eight days and has surpassed 3.5 million views. AYAYAAH – Element EleéeH ft Bien and Joshua Baraka Released on April 22, “AYAYAAH” brings together Element EleéeH, Kenyan artiste Bien and Uganda’s Joshua Baraka. The song blends Afrobeats and kompa influences, combining their vocal styles with upbeat production and a recognisable chorus. It passed one million YouTube views within four days and has since garnered more than nine million views. Extra Stamina – Diez Dola Diez Dola’s “Extra Stamina” has been one of the notable breakthrough records of 2026. Released in March as the first single from his debut album, Propaganda, the track introduced a playful, dance-oriented sound that helped bring the emerging artiste to a wider audience. Produced by Element EleéeH, it combines Kinyarwanda, English and Kiswahili lyrics with a catchy chorus. The song has amassed more than 8.3 million YouTube views. Come On – Mike Kayihura For Mike Kayihura, 2026 has been a year of return, with “Come On” playing a central role in his comeback. Released in April, the single marked his return to solo releases after a prolonged absence from the music scene. The song combines Kayihura’s R&B influences with contemporary Afro-pop. It was produced by Muriroo, mixed and mastered by Bob Pro, with visuals directed by Harris. “Come On” also introduced his six-track EP, Intwaza, released in May. Ndi Ready – Kevin Kade Kevin Kade continued his run of popular releases with “Ndi Ready,” which has maintained a presence on Rwanda’s music charts since its May release. Produced by Element EleéeH, the track combines an Afro-pop rhythm with Kade’s melodic delivery. The music video, directed by Gad, was released on May 8. “Ndi Ready” ranked second on Audiomack’s Rwanda chart for the week of May 16 and remained among the leading releases on Popnable’s September rankings. Pom Pom – Bruce Melodie ft Diamond Platnumz and Joel Brown “Pom Pom” has been among the year’s prominent regional collaborations, bringing together Bruce Melodie, Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz and Nigerian artiste Joel Brown. Released in January after an initial delay, the song was produced by C-Tea Beat and directed by Sacha Vybz. It enjoyed strong chart performance across the region, while Bruce Melodie regularly performed it during his Summer Country Tour. The song has also surpassed 10 million YouTube views this year. Inshallah – The Ben After months of anticipation, The Ben released “Inshallah” in August. Produced by Madebeats, the romantic song combines English and Kinyarwanda lyrics, while its video was directed by Burundian filmmaker Julien. Released on August 15, the video accumulated more than 1.1 million YouTube views within 48 hours and has since surpassed six million views. “Inshallah” also ranked second on Audiomack’s Weekly 100: Rwanda playlist updated on September 16. Yampayinka – Kirikou Akili ft Kivumbi King Released in August, “Yampayinka” brings together Kirikou Akili and Kivumbi King. The official video was released on August 8 and directed by John Elarts, with production credited to Niaguilaaa Muta. The collaboration has attracted attention on music-video platforms and featured among notable releases on Rwanda’s charts in recent weeks. Godzilla – Kenny Sol Kenny Sol’s “Godzilla” has emerged as one of the year’s notable dance-oriented releases. Released in June, the single blends Afrobeats with a playful romantic theme. The official video followed on July 2 and has surpassed one million YouTube views. “Godzilla” also ranked fourth on Audiomack’s Weekly 100: Rwanda playlist updated on September 16. Bonus tracks: Détail by Bruce Melodie, So Close by Kevin Kade, Ninde by Element EleeeeH ft Shafy.
