We’ll start with her auspicious debut, ‘My Name Is’, featuring Busiswa (who’s currently in the news for her star turn in Beyoncé’s ‘Black Is King’). It was a smash hit here in 2012, becoming a summer staple, and it even got an international release on NuLu Music, the New York label run by Louie Vega’s wife Anané. An Afro-house dream, it scored a SAMA nomination for Song of the Year.
Five years later, Zinhle was riding high in the charts again – this time in tandem with singer Tamara Dey. ‘Colours’ is a bop – a celebratory pop-tinged house track that you could easily file next to the best work of former Moloko frontwoman Roisin Murphy. In the same year, Zinhle produced her woman empowerment TV show, It Takes A Village.
Ah, what would 2019 have been like without the MASSIVE ‘Umlilo’? The track also connects Zinhle with Idols – one of the vocalists on the track, Rethabile Khumalo (daughter of Winnie), took part in seasons 8 and 9 of our beloved show. They performed it live, with Winnie, at this year’s DStv Mzansi Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
The ‘2.0’ version of the track currently has almost 4.5 million views! In a year with plenty of competition (we’re looking at you, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa!), it was a contender for song of the summer in 2019.
Despite everything 2020 has thrown at us, Zinhle has stayed busy. First, she teamed up with Mi Casa’s Dr Duda and Lucille Slade (who broke through on Cassper’s ‘Tito Mboweni’) for ‘Go!’, a soaring amapiano anthem that avoids many of the genre’s lazy copy/paste aesthetics.
And a month back – in the midst of the covid crisis – she teamed up with the lads from Locnville on the remix of ‘Miracles’, another pop-savvy slice of dance music with a stunning video.
During lockdown, our fave has also been very busy DJing from isolation. This is just one of numerous workouts she’s posted in the past few months.
Beats, beauty and brilliance, this guest judge is a formidable force!
Season 16 of Idols SA broadcasts on Sundays at 17:30 on Mzansi Magic Channel 161. Get exclusive updates and a behind the scenes look at all the action right here on our site. Don't forget to join the conversation by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #IdolsSA.