Some artists release music. Khalil Harrison seems to live inside it. In the past year alone, his name has turned up on a long list of amapiano records, and on October 9, 2026, he dropped a new EP of his own.

He's a South African amapiano singer, songwriter and producer, signed to Tyler ICU's Baby Blue Entertainment. If you've danced to amapiano in the last few years, there's a good chance you've already heard him.

From Mpumalanga, by way of a friend

In a 2023 interview with Mpumalanga News, Harrison said he is originally from Mangweni in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga. The same report says he started making music in 2015 as an R&B and hip-hop artist before moving to amapiano. He has also worked as a producer and sound engineer for his family's label, Kgasi Records.

His reason for starting was simple. In a cover interview with Music In Africa, compiled from Apple Music's Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida, he put it plainly: "I started music because of a friend." In that conversation, he also spoke about losing his mother when he was young.

The songs that carried him

His biggest song is "Jealousy," with LeeMcKrazy, Ceeka RSA and Tyler ICU, released in November 2023. He's proud of how long it has lasted. "We made it in 2022, dropped in 2023 and still, in 2025, this song is running the world," he told Music In Africa.

Then came "Komasava (Comment Ça Va)," Diamond Platnumz's song featuring Khalil Harrison and Chley. A 2024 remix added Jason Derulo. Tanzania's The Citizen reported that the remix debuted at No. 39 on Billboard's U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart and called it the first Tanzanian song to reach that chart.

His reach goes past Africa, too. With Tyler ICU, he's featured on American rapper BIA's 2025 album for Epic Records.

On January 31, 2025, he released Uzwile Bathini, a seven-track album and his first with Baby Blue.

A year that hasn't slowed down

The past 12 months have been full. Beatport and Apple Music list a steady stream of releases and features from November 2025 on, working with producers and DJs across the amapiano scene. One of the latest is "Umshiso" with Steezy Vsop, released September 18, 2026.

The latest is WEEKND, a four-song EP released October 9, 2026. The Yanos Magazine described it as high-energy and built for the party, following his August single of the same name. It's music made for the end of a long week.

On Spotify, he had more than 1.5 million monthly listeners when Street Buzz checked on October 20, 2026.

A note for listeners

Most of Harrison's vocals are in South African languages rather than English, and his lead releases on Apple Music carry no Explicit tag. The groove speaks for itself either way.

Where to listen and follow

Find Khalil Harrison on his official pages only. Other accounts using his name belong to other people.

Start with WEEKND, then work back to "Jealousy." By the end, you'll understand why so many amapiano producers keep calling his name.

Sources