Black Sherif —one of the most prolific African artists of his generation— enters a new era with his latest single “PopStar,” which is out today via RBA/EMPIRE. Produced by longtimecollaborator Joker, the single marks both a sonic and visual shift, moving from the introspectivetones that shaped his rise into a more confident, stadium-ready sound. This new chapter officially closes out 2025’s IRON BOY and introduces a more expansive, melodic direction.
While “PopStar” explores themes of orange-sunset tones, his acclaimed sophomore album IRON BOY was equipped with the dark moody blues. On IRON BOY, the Ghanaian superstarlived up to his calling as a relentless, strong-willed street preacher. The album accumulated over 705 million streams, debuted at No. 5 on Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Chart, broke Top 10 on Billboard World Albums Chart, and earned him a 2025 BET Award nomination – showing his global crossover appeal. In support of IRON BOY, Sherif embarked on his headlining US tourwhich included sold-out shows in Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and more.
Black Sherif has ascended from the small town of Konongo in Ghana’s Ashanti Region to become one of Africa’s most electrifying stars —a generational talent that transcends theordinary His breakout hit, “Kwaku The Traveller,” became the most Shazamed song in theworld upon release, and since then he was named to Rolling Stone’s Future 25 andrecognized by NPR, The Fader, Complex, The New York Times, and more. His debut album,The Villain I Never Was, debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard World Albums chart, and he has collaborated with Burna Boy, Popcaan, Vic Mensa, and more – and contributed to Creed III:The Soundtrack executive-produced by J. Cole’s Dreamville. Most recently, he received multiple nominations at the 2026 Ghana Music Awards and performed at the FIFA World Cup event with Puma on behalf of Ghana in NYC.
With nearly a billion global streams and growing recognition, Black Sherif continues to positionhimself at the forefront of Africa’s global music conversation. Listen to “PopStar” and watch the visualizer here.
