South African R&B gem Yamiko returns with her new ep “Rear View Mirror”

A rising star on the South African scene and a singularity in her hybrid R&B sounds, which sums up Yamiko’s talent perfectly. We had the chance to chat with her following her inclusion in Apple Music’s “Up Next” roster.

Yamiko is an emerging artist from Cape Town, South Africa, known for her soulfoul R&B melodies and experimental soundscapes. Her musical journey began in 2020 after the release of her first song called “Healing”. We took a look back at her journey so far: ”2020 Yamiko was trying to find her sound. Naturally, I’ve always made sure that my sound and lyrics reflect my vulnerability. Now I’m more experienced, more in ease in how I want to express things, more confident in my writing and which kind of genre I want to explore. I get my inspiration from myself and my daily mood/feelings.”

In a country that has been dominated by amapiano for some years now, growing up with artists such as Brandy, Sade and Jhene Aiko were a very natural step for Yamiko to embrace this genre: “I really enjoyed listening to Brandy’s sound and how she layers her music and her vocals. She is a unique artist with a special ton and texture in her voice. Her soft effortless sounding vocal is enjoyable and this is how I tend to recreate my sound as well.” This statement contributes to raising awareness of the diversity and plurality of musical genres on the African continent, in an era where the spotlight on the continent’s talents shines so brightly. This recognition should be accompanied by further research into the definition of these genres, particularly in award ceremonies: “I do think more research needs to be done in African musical categories because the music is diverse. We have so many genres within South Africa alone so to decide and group everybody in a category disservice the artist.”

Yamiko released her highly anticipated EP “Rear View Mirror” the 9^th August. Rear View Mirror is a unique and innovative project that challenges traditional storytelling conventions.

The tracklist unfolds in reverse chronological order, with the final song marking the beginning of Yamiko’s journey and the first track serving as its culmination. This unconventional approach offers a fresh perspective on heartbreak, growth, and self-love, making the EP a standout in today’s music landscape. We took a closer look at the creative process that went into making this EP: “At first, I was not thinking about building a proper EP. I did some studio sessions, and some singles were created. Without even realizing it, all those songs assembled made a good story and emerged into a solid EP potential. They all sounded so good together and the story made sense.” On the track entitled “Deep Innit” we discover a masterful hybrid of R&B and amapiano. This type of mixture, so far little experienced by Yamiko, will be reproduced in the future as she says : “It was produced by Surreal Sessions, a producer/DJ amapiano duo. They reach out to me to collaborate and make some music without any particular purpose. They knew I like R&B and tried to combine it with some amapiano vibe as well as part of their universe. I really enjoyed our sessions together and there definitely will be other songs likes this in the future.”

The EP was accompanied by a major recognition of her name being highlighted on Apple Music’s latest “Up Next” edition. Yamiko opened up to us about this great news: “It was so lovely to get this call. It was a concrete confirmation that people listen to me, root for me and kind of relate to my sound. It meant a lot.”

At the dawn of 2025, no doubt Yamiko will keep on sharing her EP and performing it live, as she attaches particular importance to the stage: “I love being on stage, it’s more exciting that being in the studio. It gets real when you share it with your audience. I also have the chance to collaborate with a band and it’s fun to play around with the arrangements of some songs, making them more vibrant or jazzier. I have a strong stage background, having been a backup dancer for many artists. In the future, I’m hoping to dive into stage direction and put on a whole show as I imagine.”

Listen to Rear View Mirror below :