Five. That’s the number of times Amanda Black is nominated at this year’s Metro FM Music Awards (MMAs). That’s significant on more levels than just that she’s a woman leading the pack.

For one: she’s nominated in the Best New Artist, Best Female, Best R&B, Best Pop and Song of the Year categories. The amount of times I hear her biggest single, Amazulu on radio, it’s a serious contender for Song of the Year.

It’s also a middle finger to singing “talent” competitions. We’ve all since accepted that those sorts of shows are about entertainment and if you look at those who won and those who didn’t, the ones who didn’t almost always have better careers.

Amanda, who is a former Idols contestant and is now signed to Ambitiouz Entertainment is an r&b vocalist through and through – despite being labeled the better selling “afro-soul.”

I suppose the fact that she sometimes sings in Zulu is a good Trojan horse to get people who don’t believe in my favourite genre to pay attention.

Her debut album, Amazulu, is worth a listen. She’s an amazing singer – even though I think the songwriting tends to be pedestrian on some songs. Ahead of the 16th MMAs, which take place in Durban on 25 February, I figured I’d give you a guide to why this budding powerhouse is nominated more than anyone else. Here are five Amanda Black-assisted songs you simply must listen to.

That time she was cursing out a fuccboi on Uzobuya:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DprJKv_5H0c

That time she assisted her label mate, A-Reece, on Sebenza:

That time she soared on Jessie Ware’s Say You Love Me:

That time she held Miss Pru’s posse cut, Phumelela, together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pzFsphplPI

That time she sang Amazulu a cappella for Z’khiphani: