Focalistic

About

Also known as: Lethabo Sebetso

Focalistic, born Lethabo Sebetso in Pretoria, is one of the artists who helped push amapiano beyond South Africa's borders and into genuinely global territory. His single 'Ke Star' with Vigro Deep was already certified gold locally, but the 2021 remix featuring Davido sent it all the way to number 16 on the Billboard Top Triller Global chart, which was a serious statement for the genre. He headlined the AmaFest Tour in the UK that same year and performed at the O2 Arena in London in 2022, both moves that put amapiano in front of audiences who had barely heard of it before. His debut album Sghubu Ses Excellent dropped in late 2020, followed by the EP President Ya Straata in 2021 and the studio album Ghetto Gospel in 2022. He also runs his own label, 18 Area Holdings, which he set up in partnership with The Vth Seasons. At the 2021 All Africa Music Awards he pulled seven nominations across major categories, and he earned a nod for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards that year too. His catalog continues to grow, with the album 13POS arriving in 2024.