Nathi Mankayi Drops New Song ‘Imimoya’ from Album ‘Usiba Lwe Gazi’, ‘Nomvula’ Hitmaker Says Fans Love It

• Mzansi singer Nathi Mankayi has released a new song called Imimoya from his 2022 album Usiba Lwe Gazi
• The Nomvula hitmaker featured Tee Tee on Usiba Lwe Gazi, and they collaborated on two songs, Sondela My Love and Angeke
• Briefly News chatted with Nathi, who discussed all aspects of Imimoya and Usiba Lwe Gazi's creative process

Nathi Mankayi has released a new song, Imimoya, from his fourth studio album, Usiba Lwe Gazi.

The talented singer is well known for his amazing music catalogue, which earned him prestigious awards such as the South African Music Awards (SAMA).

Since his debut in 2014 with Nomvula, the musician's music has healed souls, taken over music streams, broken records, and he hopes to do even more with Imimoya.

Nathi Mankayi says his fans love Imimoya and Usiba Lwe Gazi

Imimoya is already out on music streaming services. The song is from Nathi's album Usiba Lwe Gazi, which means "blood feather." It is inspired by the idea of using a feather as a pen to write letters.

Imimoya and other songs in Usiba Lwe Gazi are full of love and hope, opening the listener's eyes to things they might be afraid to discuss.

Speaking to Briefly News, Nathi opened up about the audience's response to the hit track. Nathi stated that his loyal fans showed support by streaming.

"I am actually overwhelmed by how well my supporters are loving ’Usiba Lwe Gazi’. We are sitting at around 8 million overall streams across the digital platforms and I am so appreciative of everyone that streams and purchases my music."

"I’ve had numerous supporters (including Black Coffee) boldly say that this album is the best project I have ever released. I’m in awe and so grateful because I was very intentional with this album!"

Nathi Mankayi speaks candidly about challenges faced while recording Imimoya

The Nomvula hitmaker's career has been full of difficulties. According to TimesLIVE, Nathi left his previous record label, Muthaland, because he felt controlled.

Many people assumed his career was over after he went on a hiatus. However, Nathi had a different perspective about going independent.

"After I left the company I used work with during the Nomvula era, I started my own company, Mankayi Media, and built my own team from scratch which was extremely challenging. Having to start afresh after having one of SA’s biggest hits was an interesting experience because I had so much learning to do."

Even after taking a break following releasing his 2018 album Iphupha Labantu, planning for his major 2022 comeback was a struggle.

The album was written and recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic when Nathi lost his parents to the disease, but he persisted.

"The passing of my parents actually gave me more courage to keep pushing and to never give up on my dream. There were no changes made to the album, and things happened the way I had planned and wished for. I’m really grateful for that."