Moonchild Sanelly: Full Moon review – sex-positive South African swaggers towards stardom

(Transgressive)
Spinning the sounds of Johannesburg and Durban into distinctive, abrasive electro-pop, the blue-braided singer is filthy and sharply funny

The Hollywood Hair theory, popular on TikTok, argues that an artist needs instantly recognisable hair to hit superstar status – think Amy’s teased beehive or Ariana’s slick ponytail. Lucky that South African singer and rapper Moonchild Sanelly patented her chunky blue braids more than a decade ago; her third album could crown her.

Victorious opening single Scrambled Eggs is an ode to Sanelly’s favourite hotel breakfast and a flash of a well-stamped passport: she recorded the album in Malawi, the UK and Sweden. Sung in both Xhosa and English, Full Moon spins the sounds of Johannesburg and Durban (kwaito, amapiano and gqom) into distinctive, abrasive electro-pop.