Simphiwe Dana: So Sad, Metro FM Hasn’t Playlisted My Firebrand

Simphiwe
Firebrand’s album cover. Picture: Twitter.

Metro FM is yet to playlist Simphiwe Dana’s new music from her fourth studio album, Firebrand, which was released last month and the iconic Queen of Soul is not impressed.

The outspoken Dana, 34 – who performed recently at New York’s Apollo Theater and picked up a Bessie Award, a prestigious contemporary dance award, for a composition for a work by Gregory Maqoma – worked on her anticipated 14-track album for two years, and it seems Metro FM listeners will have to wait a little longer to listen to her latest offering (if it gets playlisted).

After weeks of waiting to hear her first single ‘My Light’, dedicated to her son, on the Auckland Park-based radio station, the singer-songwriter is fed up and needs clarification.

With 136k followers on Twitter, Dana took to the social networking site to express her frustration at the SABC commercial radio station on Wednesday morning.

Firebrand @simphiwedana  – @METROFMSA hasn’t playlisted #Firebrand 🙁

Firebrand @simphiwedana – Which South African music does Metro FM play? Since they have South African Music Awards

 Firebrand @simphiwedana – @METROFMSA what is your criteria of rejecting South African songs?

 Firebrand @simphiwedana – Thank you @kayafm95dot9 for at least trying to represent South Africa. You really are the last frontier. Maybe you should do music awards.

This comes after numerous artists, including L’vovo Derango and station presenter DJ Mlu, questioned the station’s playlist policy after their songs were also not playlisted.

Kwaito artist Thokozani Ndlovu, aka L’vovo Derango, was furious with Metro FM’s refusal to playlist his latest single, Amabhoza.

The Kwaito star asked: “How is it possible that every radio station in the country will give thumbs up to my song, but Metro FM will just turn it down?”

And DJ Mlu, real name Mlungisi Dlukulu, and his management were infuriated  at his employer for not giving him airplay though he submitted his music. The DJ presents Dance Culture on Saturday nights and Metro FM Lounge on Sunday evenings.

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