Grammy-nominated Nairobi singer and songwriter Xenia Manasseh joins fellow Kenyan artists Ukweli and Ywaya Tajiri on ‘AJE?’, an intimate new single that brings three distinctive voices together around the complicated realities of love.
Released via Cinq Music, a GoDigital Music company, the song is among the first releases from Cinq’s partnership with Nairobi-based artist development platform Soul HQ. The collaboration reflects a wider effort to connect emerging and established African talent with audiences beyond the continent, while spotlighting the depth of Nairobi’s evolving R&B scene.
Meaning “how?” in Swahili, ‘AJE?’ is built around a relationship that has become difficult to leave behind. The song asks two simple but emotionally loaded questions: how can I give you up, and how can I leave you? Instead of presenting a clear solution, Xenia, Ukweli and Ywaya sit with the uncertainty of two people who have hurt each other but still feel that their connection is too significant to walk away from.
That emotional tension gives the record its intimacy. The lyrics acknowledge the damage within the relationship while also holding onto the belief that what the two people share is rare. It is a familiar feeling, and the trio turns it into a reflective R&B record that feels personal without becoming overly dramatic.
Xenia says the song represents a new direction for her, particularly through its connection to her Coastal and Swahili roots. She also points to the chemistry between the three artists as an important part of how the record came together, with Ukweli’s genre-blending production and Ywaya’s songwriting helping create a natural studio environment.
Musically, ‘AJE?’ settles into a warm and atmospheric Afro-R&B groove. The production remains understated, allowing the soulful vocals and melodies to take centre stage, while the hypnotic rhythm gives the track a relaxed late-night quality. Contemporary R&B meets East African influences without either side feeling forced, making the collaboration sound organic from start to finish.
For Xenia Manasseh, the release adds another layer to an already impressive musical journey. The Nairobi artist has built a reputation around emotionally honest songwriting and a sound that draws from Neo-Soul, Afro-R&B, Afropop and Jazz. Her music often explores love, vulnerability, identity and the complicated ways people connect with one another.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Xenia has earned Grammy recognition through her work with Teyana Taylor and has collaborated with artists including Brandy, Burna Boy and Sauti Sol. Her solo catalogue includes the LOVE/HATE and MAYBE EPs, while appearances on COLORS x STUDIOS and NPR’s Tiny Desk have introduced her music to wider audiences.
Her live résumé has also taken her to respected stages including New York’s Blue Note and venues across Europe, further establishing her as one of Nairobi’s compelling contemporary R&B voices.
‘AJE?’ now marks another step in that evolution, with Xenia using the collaboration to explore a sound that feels even more closely connected to her East African roots. Together with Ukweli and Ywaya Tajiri, she creates a record that is warm, soulful and quietly vulnerable, capturing the complicated feeling of knowing a relationship may hurt you while still struggling to let it go.
With more music expected from Xenia Manasseh, ‘AJE?’ offers a glimpse of where her sound is heading next while putting the creative chemistry of three Kenyan artists at the centre of the conversation.
