It is a hybrid of deep house, gqom, jazz, soul and lounge music characterized by synths and wide, percussive basslines.
In the 2020s, numerous prominent Tanzanian musical artists including Diamond Platnumz, Marioo, Harmonize, Nandy, Jux, Mbosso and Zuchu released notable bongopiano songs.
There have been several pioneers of the genre since its emergence including Kcee, Snazzy the Optimist, Oxlade and renowned American pop rock band OneRepublic.
[34] A notable illustration is the 2021 single "Overdue" by record producers Kooldrink, DJ Lag and singer, Tyla which showcased a fusion of popiano and gqom.
[34] Private school piano also known as soulful amapiano is distinguished by its use of shakers, mellow log drum sounds and progressive chord sequences.
[41] The genre was popular amongst young people on social media platforms, where videos using amapiano music were uploaded, which fueled the dancing scene in South Africa.
Social media users in South Africa are constantly fighting to change the narratives about how they helped the country advance.[how?
][43] In October 2023, the afrobeats and amapiano fusion song "Water" by Tyla gained international prominence following a viral bacardi house dance challenge on social media.
Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years,[45] and was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand, where it reached number one.
South Korean girl group Le Sserafim took inspiration from amapiano for their track "Smart" off of their third EP, Easy.