Patoranking Returns With ‘Kolo Kolo’ Off Forthcoming Album

After the release of the award-winning track Celebrate Me in 2021, Afrobeats star Patoranking is back with Kolo Kolo, featuring Tanzania’s Diamond Platinumz.

The bouncy tune, produced by Yung Willis, is Patoranking’s first single this year and the first track off his imminent fourth album. The track opens with a seductive horn melody, setting the stage for Patoranking and Diamond Platinumz to serenade their love interests in Nigerian Pidgin and Swahili, respectively. In Kolo Kolo (Nigerian term for mad, or crazy), Patoranking reunites with Yung Willis, who produced Celebrate Me, winner of the Best Recording of the Year award at the 15th Annual Headies Awards held this past weekend in Atlanta. Patoranking also won the Best Reggae/Dancehall Album for Three at this year’s Headies, the first edition of the prestigious African music awards show to be held in the United States.

Speaking on the collaboration, Patoranking says, “I always love to work with artists from different parts of Africa”. He also said, “Reuniting with Diamond was a no-brainer. We’ve always had that chemistry musically. Anytime we link up, it’s pure vibes.”

The music video which was directed by Dammy Twitch was filmed in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, and featured Nigerian actress Nancy Isime as the love interest who has Patoranking going crazy. Kolo Kolo pairs two of Africa’s most popular music stars in Patoranking and Diamond Platinumz. Collectively, the two artists have over 23 million Instagram followers and more than 2.3 billion views on YouTube. Their previous collab, 2017’s  Love You Die has over 60 million views on YouTube and an additional 20 million streams across DSPs. 

Patoranking is an international reggae star whose dancehall anthems have resonated from Nigeria to Jamaica. His collaborations with top African acts Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, and Sauti Sol have made him an Afropop icon across the continent. Diamond Platinumz is one of East Africa’s most streamed recording artists, known for hits like Inama and African Beauty —  and for popularizing the regional sound known as Bongo Flavor. He joins Patoranking on Kolo Kolo fresh off his star appearance on Netflix’s hit series, Young, Famous, and African, which was just renewed for Season 2. 

Patoranking is currently putting the touches on his as-yet-untitled fourth album, coming early next year through a new partnership between his own Amari Musiq label and The Orchard. As a brand ambassador for Hennessy, he was recently welcomed at the Château de Bagnolet in Cognac, the Hennessy family home, where he commenced recording for the album.

Listen to Kolo Kolo: