Yandani Releases Debut EP About You as South Africa’s Rising Pop and R&B Star
TikTok Sensation Yandani Steps Into the Spotlight With Heartfelt Debut EP About You
South Africa’s music scene has welcomed a fresh new voice with the arrival of Yandani’s long awaited debut EP, About You. After building a loyal following of more than one million people on TikTok, the 20 year old singer songwriter is now making his boldest statement yet with a deeply personal project that explores the highs and lows of young love.
Blending contemporary Pop and R&B, the six track EP introduces Yandani as more than a social media success story. It presents an artist willing to embrace vulnerability, confront heartbreak and celebrate personal growth through emotionally honest songwriting.
The release marks a defining moment in his career as he moves from creating viral online moments to establishing himself as one of South Africa’s most promising young musicians.
Recorded over two years in London, Durban and Cape Town, About You was created alongside acclaimed collaborators Stephen Barnes and Sacha Skarbek. The project reflects Yandani’s growing confidence as both a songwriter and performer, while revealing a stronger sense of his artistic identity.
“I’d describe the sound as the perfect mix of R&B and Pop,” Yandani said.
“I wanted the music to feel emotional and relatable, but still uplifting. Even when the songs deal with difficult situations, there’s always a feeling of confidence underneath everything.”
Rather than following one continuous storyline, the EP unfolds as a collection of emotional experiences. Each song captures a different stage of relationships, from the excitement of new romance to uncertainty, heartbreak, healing and rediscovering self worth.
“The project is really about young love and all the emotions that come with it,” he explained.
“Relationships, situationships, heartbreak, confidence and everything in between inspired these songs. I wanted each track to capture a different feeling that people can relate to.”
Throughout the record, Yandani explores themes of devotion, attraction, vulnerability, emotional exhaustion and self acceptance with refreshing honesty. Instead of offering easy answers, the songs invite listeners to reflect on their own experiences and emotions.
“I hope people hear something they recognise in themselves,” he said.
“Whether they’re in love, heartbroken or just trying to find confidence again, I want the music to remind them that it’s okay to feel everything and still know your worth.”
That emotional authenticity also shaped the creative process behind the EP.
“My songwriting process always started with hearing a beat,” Yandani said.
“Stephen Barnes, Sacha Skarbek and I would start building melodies together and then I’d follow wherever the music was taking me emotionally. What I wrote about always depended on how the beat made me feel.”
Leading the project is the title track, About You, which also serves as the EP’s lead single. The song tells the story of falling deeply in love and the vulnerability that comes with opening your heart to someone else. Written for what Yandani affectionately calls “lover girls and lover boys”, it sets the emotional tone for the entire collection.
While About You explores familiar themes of love and loss, it also signals the arrival of a young artist determined to carve out his own place in African Pop and R&B.
With a rapidly growing audience already behind him and a debut project rooted in sincerity and emotional depth, Yandani appears ready to take the next step in his career. For listeners searching for music that reflects the realities of modern relationships without losing hope, About You offers an honest and compelling introduction to one of South Africa’s rising stars.
