With a discography that embraces South African homegrown genres from Amapiano and Gqom to her own pioneering style dubbed “future ghetto funk”, musician and creative visionary Moonchild Sanelly has from the outset blazed her own unique trail. The Port Elizabeth-born maverick is known for her vibrant, inimitable style, affirming lyricism and storytelling, as well as inspirational honesty, across a career which deftly encompasses constant experimentation and innovation, while always remaining accessible and singularly recognizable as Moonchild Sanelly.
Following the success of her award-winning debut studio album Rabulapha! (2015) and the genre-crossing sophomore album Phases (2022), the self-described musical shapeshifter is back with the release her new studio album Full Moon in January 2025. Produced by Johan Hugo, Full Moon is a collection of 12 songs which displays Sanelly’s unique sonic fingerprint, joyous attitude, distinctive vocals and genre-bending hits, not forgetting a glorious aesthetic crowned by her signature teal-coloured Moon Mop.
Recorded in multiple locations while on the road, Full Moon is an introspective yet kinetic display of her versatility. “I can make any genre, I have fun creating music because I’m not limited,” she says. It’s club-ready beats oscillate between electronic, afro-punk, edgy-pop, kwaito, and hip-hop sensibilities. Stand out tracks include ‘Big Booty’ on which listeners are invited to join Moonchild in self-celebration as she recites a love letter to her own body; and owning one’s sexual accomplishments on such tracks as ‘Boom’ where she professes “Rich n*ggah d*ck don’t hit Like a broke n*ggah d*ck.” Moonchild’s lyrical prowess and sense of humour are exhibited further in the wordplay on ‘To Kill A Single Girl’ – a breakup song with tequila – of which she says “I had to let go. I’m always truthful but I had unnecessary thorns when it came to my truth, it was potentially ruining my relationships”; and electrifies mundane everyday tasks on first single and “audacious anthem” [CLASH] ‘Scrambled Eggs’.
Sonically, Moonchild continues to carve out her own style, one that further illustrates the variety of grooves South Africa has to offer alongside Amapiano, beloved of her original fan base. A goal when in the studio is to create songs which will allow for an instant, instinctive connection with a live audience, she wants them to sing along. Yet Full Moon is a body of work that holds contrasts and self-reflection. While it bounces between ear-splitting bass and high-pitched powerful vocals on high-octane songs such as ‘Gwara Gwara’ and ‘Sweet and Savage’ (watch her dynamic performance of the track at a recent COLORS show), it displays a vulnerability and soft-spoken sensuality on ‘I Love People’ as the artist recounts her “silly little” sexual fantasies. The inverted lullaby melodies on the Xhosa-led ‘Mntanam’ carry mournful messages of failed fatherhood delivered to a now-adult child. “It’s an apology from useless parents. Taking full accountability for what they did not do,” she says.
Thematically the album sees Sanelly embrace the art of letting go and forgiveness, both of herself and others, as she revisits scenarios across her extraordinary life in a series of musical snapshots. The song-writing process for Full Moon saw her focus on the self and her journey towards self-love, the studio a place which allowed her the creative and personal space required to share these stories.
“My music is about the body and liberation. No one can make it OK for you to feel like you don’t love yourself,” she explains. This new album is the body of work of which she is most proud, as we are seeing the many sides of Moonchild Sanelly. “That’s why it’s called Full Moon”, she says, adding, “A lot of South African music is about dance and forgetting your problems. My vulnerability is about me finding words to describe situations that I used to say f*** you to, when I didn’t have previously to express them because of how dark they were to get into this journey.”
That journey from the Durban poetry scene and pool parties of Johannesburg to international stardom is one driven by an innate creativity, unique self-expression and extraordinary confidence, as well as a knack for teaming up with like-minded artists. A self-confessed “collaboration whore”, she is known to many as the firebrand whose vocals livened up Beyoncé’s ‘My Power’ on the Lion King soundtrack in 2019. She has collaborated with artists from Ezra Collective to Steve Aoiki, and Ghetts to Gorillaz, and is currently bathing in the afterglow of the hugely successful ‘Big Man’ – one of 2024’s songs of the summer [The Guardian] - an exploration of gender roles penned alongside British star Self Esteem. Her unforgettable live performances have seen her play to crowds from SXSW in Austin, Texas, to Primavera Sound in Barcelona, with a staggering ten performances across Glastonbury Festival this year alone.
Full Moon marks the return of a singular artist like no other. Led by singles Scrambled Eggs, Sweet & Savage, Big Booty and Do Your Dance, the stars are aligned and 2025 is shaping up to be Moonchild Sanelly’s year.
Full Moon is out on 10th January 2025 on Transgressive Records.
With a discography that embraces South African homegrown genres from Amapiano and Gqom to her own pioneering style dubbed “future ghetto funk”, musician and creative visionary Moonchild Sanelly has from the outset blazed her own unique trail. The Port Elizabeth-born maverick is known for her vibrant, inimitable style, affirming lyricism and storytelling, as well as inspirational honesty, across a career which deftly encompasses constant experimentation and innovation, while always remaining accessible and singularly recognizable as Moonchild Sanelly.
Following the success of her award-winning debut studio album Rabulapha! (2015) and the genre-crossing sophomore album Phases (2022), the self-described musical shapeshifter is back with the release her new studio album Full Moon in January 2025. Produced by Johan Hugo, Full Moon is a collection of 12 songs which displays Sanelly’s unique sonic fingerprint, joyous attitude, distinctive vocals and genre-bending hits, not forgetting a glorious aesthetic crowned by her signature teal-coloured Moon Mop.
Recorded in multiple locations while on the road, Full Moon is an introspective yet kinetic display of her versatility. “I can make any genre, I have fun creating music because I’m not limited,” she says. It’s club-ready beats oscillate between electronic, afro-punk, edgy-pop, kwaito, and hip-hop sensibilities. Stand out tracks include ‘Big Booty’ on which listeners are invited to join Moonchild in self-celebration as she recites a love letter to her own body; and owning one’s sexual accomplishments on such tracks as ‘Boom’ where she professes “Rich n*ggah d*ck don’t hit Like a broke n*ggah d*ck.” Moonchild’s lyrical prowess and sense of humour are exhibited further in the wordplay on ‘To Kill A Single Girl’ – a breakup song with tequila – of which she says “I had to let go. I’m always truthful but I had unnecessary thorns when it came to my truth, it was potentially ruining my relationships”; and electrifies mundane everyday tasks on first single and “audacious anthem” [CLASH] ‘Scrambled Eggs’.
Sonically, Moonchild continues to carve out her own style, one that further illustrates the variety of grooves South Africa has to offer alongside Amapiano, beloved of her original fan base. A goal when in the studio is to create songs which will allow for an instant, instinctive connection with a live audience, she wants them to sing along. Yet Full Moon is a body of work that holds contrasts and self-reflection. While it bounces between ear-splitting bass and high-pitched powerful vocals on high-octane songs such as ‘Gwara Gwara’ and ‘Sweet and Savage’ (watch her dynamic performance of the track at a recent COLORS show), it displays a vulnerability and soft-spoken sensuality on ‘I Love People’ as the artist recounts her “silly little” sexual fantasies. The inverted lullaby melodies on the Xhosa-led ‘Mntanam’ carry mournful messages of failed fatherhood delivered to a now-adult child. “It’s an apology from useless parents. Taking full accountability for what they did not do,” she says.
Thematically the album sees Sanelly embrace the art of letting go and forgiveness, both of herself and others, as she revisits scenarios across her extraordinary life in a series of musical snapshots. The song-writing process for Full Moon saw her focus on the self and her journey towards self-love, the studio a place which allowed her the creative and personal space required to share these stories.
“My music is about the body and liberation. No one can make it OK for you to feel like you don’t love yourself,” she explains. This new album is the body of work of which she is most proud, as we are seeing the many sides of Moonchild Sanelly. “That’s why it’s called Full Moon”, she says, adding, “A lot of South African music is about dance and forgetting your problems. My vulnerability is about me finding words to describe situations that I used to say f*** you to, when I didn’t have previously to express them because of how dark they were to get into this journey.”
That journey from the Durban poetry scene and pool parties of Johannesburg to international stardom is one driven by an innate creativity, unique self-expression and extraordinary confidence, as well as a knack for teaming up with like-minded artists. A self-confessed “collaboration whore”, she is known to many as the firebrand whose vocals livened up Beyoncé’s ‘My Power’ on the Lion King soundtrack in 2019. She has collaborated with artists from Ezra Collective to Steve Aoiki, and Ghetts to Gorillaz, and is currently bathing in the afterglow of the hugely successful ‘Big Man’ – one of 2024’s songs of the summer [The Guardian] - an exploration of gender roles penned alongside British star Self Esteem. Her unforgettable live performances have seen her play to crowds from SXSW in Austin, Texas, to Primavera Sound in Barcelona, with a staggering ten performances across Glastonbury Festival this year alone.
Full Moon marks the return of a singular artist like no other. Led by singles Scrambled Eggs, Sweet & Savage, Big Booty and Do Your Dance, the stars are aligned and 2025 is shaping up to be Moonchild Sanelly’s year.
Full Moon is out on 10th January 2025 on Transgressive Records.
