South African singer Umhlekisi returns with “Usbali,” the fifth track off his six-song project A Pledge, released in 2026. The song sits deep in the tracklist, so it carries the weight of a record already in motion. Umhlekisi built the collection as one continuous body of work, but “Usbali” still stands on its own.
There is no guest verse here. The billing belongs to Umhlekisi alone, so the pairing fans keep asking about is really the one between his voice and the writing behind it. “Usbali” lands as one of six cuts, and it keeps the album’s thematic thread moving forward.
His catalogue shows range. Albums like “Jealous down” and “45 minutes” sit beside singles such as “Mix” and “Lala uphumule,” while “Zumpepe” brought Mzukulu into the frame. That spread explains why listeners never quite know what to expect next.
Placing “Usbali” fifth feels deliberate rather than random. It gives the project a breathing point before the closing stretch, so the record opens up space for anyone arriving late to the album.
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