South African hitmaker Tyler ICU’s 2024 album is a dedication to his grandmother. “Lucent is my grandma’s name,” he tells Apple Music. “I grew up with my gran, so my upbringing was mostly with her. My parents came later in life, at the age when I was starting to go to school. I think I was seven when I met my parents. From birth, I knew just my gran. She’s the one holding my hand on the artwork. That picture holds a lot of memories for me—from how she has raised me and the respect that she has taught me. Also, how she was able to let me do the things that I love, or be into the things that I love. You can see that I’m holding a small radio in the picture. It just holds a lot of meaning in terms of where I come from as a person. There’s a lot of stories on the album, and it’s just [about] being thankful of where I come from.” On Lucent, Tyler ICU explores the spectrum of amapiano with the aid of a wide range of collaborators, from heavyweights like DJ Maphorisa (“Mnike”) to relative newcomers like Marsey (“Intsango”). “I think [producers] push a lot in terms of keeping the culture of the music going,” Tyler ICU explains. “The beats are able to introduce new vocalists all the time—it opens up the industry more.” The emotionally charged album opener “Emakhosini” sets the tone for an introductory run of comfort ’piano; airy vocals, spiritually inclined lyrics and a rich soundscape of luxurious keys and hissy percussion. He incorporates gqom’s buzzing synths on “Awuna Mali”, “Ibovha” and “Iy’pikiri”, where chant vocals merge with muscular bass. Things take a spiritual and soulful turn towards the end of the album with “Alibongwe”, “iThemba”, “Uthando” and “Ng’limele”, where the subjects of love and spirituality are explored further, while his mega hits “Mnike” and “Manzi Nte” close the album. “My upbringing has always had a lot of spirit in it,” the producer born Austin Kulani Baloyi explains. “A lot of my spiritual side, or the God that I know today, is from my gran. I was introduced to church at an early age, as my gran would always take me. So I think the musicality of the spiritual songs is just giving praise to God, and thanking God for life and where we are.”