Jam of the Week: Shugli by KIU

KIU have been on the scene for a minute. The girl group (one of the few in Kenya) has been gaining in popularity with their single ‘Mwanake‘ garnering some good airplay. Full disclosure; I directed the music video for ‘Mwanake’ so I may be biased as I am clearly a fan of the girls. Their latest offering ‘Shugli’ is produced by Jaaz Odongo and the video directed by Rlvnt, was released on Tuesday (19th January).

I liked the jam from the minute I first heard it. To be honest though, I wasn’t sure what they were saying. I kept hearing ‘shuke’ and kept wondering what that means when it is in fact “shugli’. Anyway, Jaaz Odongo did a great job on the track producing what is definitely a fun club banger. The vocals and harmonies are flawless and the lyrics are catchy (I like the mix of English, Swahili and Luo).

The video is colourful with lots of closeups which especially shows off the girls’ makeup. The highlight of the video is the funky dance routine at the climax of the song. I wouldn’t have minded more dancing from the girls in the video, but this is still a joy to watch. I can’t wait for KIU to release more music and videos. I have a feeling it will only get better.

Fav lyrics: “Leo tuna shugli (hatutajifunga)!”

Fav moment: When the girls break out the funky choreography.

Jam best for: Out with potential bae and you’re just about done playing the’ is it,is it not’ games.

Rating: 4/5

Check out the video for ‘Shugli’ below.