South African music sensation Appel (real name Christoph Kotze) has teamed up with Australian star James Johnston in a groundbreaking cross-continental country music collaboration that's breaking streaming records and uniting audiences worldwide.
Their new single “Country Is For Me”, which was released on Friday, November 1, showcases, the growing popularity of country music in South Africa whilst bridging cultural divides through music
The track fuses Afrikaans and English lyrics as it also pairs heartfelt lyrics with a cross-continental blend of culture and style.
The South African musician has a string of chart-topping singles to his name, such as “Heito Potato”, “Foute” and “Nonna”, among several others.
He explained in a statement that working with Johnston “has been a highlight of my career.”
“It's a powerful statement about the love of country music that knows no boundaries.”
Meanwhile, Johnston, who is renowned for his rise through “Idols Australia” and “The X-Factor Australia”, recently garnered critical acclaim for his single "Blame".
He has since joined forces with Warner Music Australia, a move which also secured support from Warner Music Nashville.
In addition, the official music video, filmed at Nahla Safaris in Schweizer-Reneke by Conrad Theron of Atlas Media, adds visual charm to the anthem as it captures the expansive beauty of the bushveld and celebrates the unifying power of country music.
“This record-breaking duet between Appel and Johnston has set a new standard for cross-cultural collaborations, bridging continents and captivating audiences worldwide with its timeless appeal,” a statement added.
And while "Country Is For Me", which premiered last month at the Cape Town Country Festival has only recently dropped, it made waves prior to its release.
The single garnered 20,000 pre-saves before its release. It had 200,000 Spotify streams in the opening weekend as it peaked at No 20 on the streaming platform’s South Africa Singles Chart.
The song also had 25,000 saves to collections in the first 48 hours, with more than 70% of streams coming from engaged listeners. On YouTube, the music video amassed 141,000 views on day one, with South African audiences contributing to 80% of views with over 350 000 views in three days.
And with 1700 fan-made videos, it reached a combined total of over six million views.
The track's other accolades so far include its being No 1 on iTunes in South Africa, No 14 in New Zealand and No 29 in Ireland. It also reached No 10 on Apple Music in the country as well as No 1 on the Country chart in South Africa.
Streaming platforms have shown the song strong support, with placements in major playlists globally, such as on Spotify where it was listed on New Music Friday in Australia and New Zealand, Fresh Country, All New Country (Global), and Country Musiek in South Africa.
It was also prioritised on Apple Music’s New Music Daily as it also featured on Amazon Music’s Brand New Music section in Australia.
And as local musical genres such as amapiano and Afrobeats continue to explode in popularity across the globe, country music, with its origins in the southern regions of America, is also being enjoyed more in Mzansi, underscoring music as a truly universal language.
This led to Grammy Award-winning Southern rock group Zac Brown Band making their South African debut at the first-ever country music festival in the Mother City.
They are Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar, Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, Daniel de los Reyes and Caroline Jones.
They were joined by other top country musicians such as Kip Moore, Darius Rucker, Cam, Brothers Osborne, Morgan Wade, James Johnston, Craig Morgan, among others.
∎ "Country Is For Me” is currently available on all major digital streaming platforms.
Watch the music video here: