Ayra Starr during a 2024 radio interview in Lagos. Photo by Ultima Studios Nigeria (CC BY)
Lagos, Tembisa and Brazil walk into a club. Ayra Starr, South African Afro House DJ Shimza and Brazilian producer Alok, under his SOMETHING ELSE alias, have released “All The People,” a new single out now on Helix Records, according to EDMTunes and Apple Music’s listing.
Key Takeaways
- The single came out Nov. 6 and runs 2 minutes, 37 seconds.
- Stargate, the Norwegian duo behind Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable,” produced it with Shift K3Y, who co-produced Shimza’s “Fire Fire.”
- It blends Shimza’s Afro House, Ayra Starr’s Afrobeats and Alok’s Brazilian dance roots.
- Ayra Starr’s 20-city headlining world tour starts in January 2027, per the release announcement.
The Full Story
The track is a vocal-led crossover made for festival fields and club floors. Shimza, who was born in Tembisa, South Africa, and founded the KUNYE event series, has had a big year: a sold-out Shimza & Co takeover during Amsterdam Dance Event, a sold-out Roundhouse show in London and a residency at Pacha Ibiza, according to the release announcement.
Ayra Starr comes in hot too. The two-time Grammy nominee broke through with “Rush” in 2022, and her latest album, Starrgirl, debuted at No. 2 on Spotify’s global albums chart this summer. Alok, ranked No. 4 in DJ Mag’s 2026 Top 100 DJs, uses SOMETHING ELSE to explore the psytrance scene he grew up around in Brazil.
The Social Conversation
For Afrobeats fans, the draw is hearing Ayra Starr ride an Afro House groove with Brazilian dance energy underneath. It’s another sign of how African sounds keep traveling across global dance music, from Johannesburg clubs to Ibiza and beyond.
