Toss Announced As Apple Music Up Next Artist in South Africa

New age pantsula and Amapiano sensation, Toss(real name Pholoso Masombuka), is the next recipient of Apple Music’s Up Next program, a local version of their global emerging artist platform which is now in its third year.

As the fresh face and gravely-toned voice of Amapiano, Toss relishes the opportunity to be featured in South Africa’s local Up Next program, Apple Music’s artist initiative geared towards shining a spotlight on upcoming talent.

Hailing from the township of Tsakane, east of Johannesburg, Toss merges his deep, hip-hop-rooted timbre with captivating dance moves, and has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting and promising new acts on the scene. “When I was told that I would be featured as the Up Next artist, I was speechless. It is wild. I am still amazed at how much a year could have changed my life and humbled by the support I have received from the likes of Apple Music,” he tells Apple Music.

After releasing “Umlando” in January 2022, alongside 9umba and Mdoovar, Toss sparked a dance craze of the same name after a video of him shaking his hips spread like wildfire across the world, earning the trio the SAMA for Viral Song of the Year. His debut EPUmlando (2022) capitalised on his new-found success and reaffirmed his passion for storytelling at the core of his music, and with his new single “Tetema” (2023) feat. Young Stunna and Tyler ICU, he aims to carve out a space for an authentic South African narrative on a global scale.

As the newest Up Next artist to be spotlighted in South Africa, Toss will be featured acrossApple Music’s South African Up Next playlist. The curated Up Next playlist features a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world.The playlist is genre agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience.

The vast global Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Fousheé and Tems.

About Apple Music’s Up Next Program

Up Next is Apple Music’s monthly artist program geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising star talent. Each month, Apple Music’s editorial team selects an artist to promote, utilizing the full force of the platform to raise awareness of the artist to its growing global audience of music fans. The vast Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Zoe Wees, Morray, Fousheé, Amorphous, Tems, Parker McCollum, Jay Wheeler, Shenseea, Omar Apollo, Jvck James and aespa.

In 2023, Apple Music’s Up Next artist program has expanded into its seventh year and includes a curated companion Up Next playlist featuring a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world. The playlist is genre and country agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience. In March 2021, Apple Music expanded the Up Next program to feature localized campaigns that highlight artists across the U.S., U.K., Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greater China, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Netherlands, Nigeria, Nordics, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey.