Across a career well into its second decade, Johannesburg native Samthing Soweto has always been evolving. He’s become one of South Africa’s most highly regarded singers, thanks to a textured vocal style that evokes joy, angst, trepidation and love without sacrificing any of his characteristic airiness. From the peerless pop ballads of Isphithiphithi to his melancholic interpretation of amapiano on 2020’s Danko!, Soweto avoids categorisation.
So, it came as something of a surprise to watch Soweto recede from the public eye for the better part of the last three years before this album. With the exception of a handful of releases and features, he has consciously stayed out of the spotlight, finding peace in the joy offered by the companionship of family and close friends. It always felt like only something wholly transformative would bring him back to music, and so it proves on his new album, Touch Is a Move (Good Morning), a meditative dispatch on family, duty and the ties that bind humans together.
Inspired by a childhood rule from playing board games where touching a piece required making a move, Touch Is a Move (Good Morning) deals with the implications of decisions made with love and duty in mind. Conceptually, Touch Is a Move (Good Morning) plays out like a drama set in 1990s Soweto with familial bonds, vulnerability and ambition explored to paint a vibrant picture of his childhood and the innocence of growing up. Across the album, there are skits (“Sister Sister 1” and “Bhut’Lungisa 2”) crafted to bring that theatrical experience to life without sacrificing the emotional rigour that Soweto built his reputation on. “Don’t Wanna Let Go” is as much a heartfelt declaration of being available for a love through all seasons as it is a promise to be there for your loved ones. “Amagents” hits harder: It’s a stirring call to action for a generation to protect its women. Rapper Blxckie dials in for “Ama Get Down”, a balmy lover’s anthem that confirms the depth of Soweto’s vision while reinforcing the weighty emotions at stake.
