*Angélique Kidjo, the five-time GRAMMY-winning Beninese icon and one of Africa’s most influential artists, has announced the release of HOPE!!, her new album arriving April 24 via Parlophone / Warner Music. The full-length follow-up to 2021’s GRAMMY-winning Mother Nature arrives as a revelatory body of work across 16 new recordings, transmitting unbridled joy as a unifying force and antidote to despair in troubled times.
Alongside the announcement, Kidjo has shared “Fall on Me,” a soul-stirring collaboration with PJ Morton. The track offers the first glimpse into an album packed with high-profile features and genre-defying production.
A New Creative Partnership with Pharrell
HOPE!! Kidjo finds an exciting new creative partnership with Pharrell Williams, who not only appears on the album but also produced three songs. Their collaboration was sparked in September 2025, when Pharrell invited Kidjo to his Grace for the World concert at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. From that encounter emerged three original songs produced and written by Pharrell in his Parisian studio, tailored specifically to Kidjo’s personality and voice.
Among these tracks are “For Me,” an anthem to self-celebration featuring Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band; “No Stopping Us,” born from conversations between Kidjo and Pharrell about the future of social change; and “Bando,” a celebration of street culture’s true roots featuring vocals from Pharrell and Quavo.
Pharrell also recently outfitted Kidjo in custom Louis Vuitton for the GRAMMY Awards last month, further cementing their creative bond.
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A Star-Studded Guest List
The album’s feature list reads like a who’s who of global music. Alongside Pharrell, Quavo, and Morton, HOPE!! includes appearances from Nigerian superstars Davido and Ayra Starr, legendary Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers, Brazilian powerhouse IZA, Congolese icon Fally Ipupa, Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz, French stars Dadju and Florent Pagny, and the world-renowned Soweto Gospel Choir.
The album also highlights collaborations with fast-rising African artists, including Lagos-based neo-High Life duo The Cavemen on “I’m On Fire” and horns from Kokoroko’s Sheila Maurice-Grey.
A Personal Dedication
Kidjo has dedicated HOPE!! to her late mother Yvonne, an homage to her resilience and optimism. The album concludes with an emotional, philharmonic rendition of “Malaika”—her mother’s favorite song—arranged by Derrick Hodge and featuring French singer Florent Pagny.
“I started singing when I was six years old, and I’m grateful every day that I still get to live my passion and do what I love with my life,” says Kidjo, who hails from the West African nation of Benin. “At the same time I know that many people struggle to find joy, especially when there’s so much to worry about in our world today. With this album I wanted to put some fire back in people’s hearts and show how much we need that joy and hope to keep our humanity going.”
A Legacy of Impact
Kidjo’s tremendous past few years include being named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list and winning the Polar Music Prize in 2023. She also performed “Jerusalema” – a song featured on HOPE!! that earned Kidjo her 16th GRAMMY nomination—at the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame in Paris in 2024.
Beyond music, Kidjo has passionately devoted herself to humanitarian work throughout her career, launching the Batonga Foundation to foster education for adolescent girls in Africa and serving as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. She has earned recognition as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world (The Guardian) and the most influential woman in Africa (Forbes).
Track Listing
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Bando feat. Pharrell and Quavo
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Aye Kan feat. Ayra Starr
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No Stopping Us
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Fall On Me feat. PJ Morton
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Oyaya feat. Nile Rodgers and IZA
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Superwoman feat. Dadju
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I’m On Fire feat. The Cavemen
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You Can
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Kakua feat. Diamond Platnumz
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Sunlight To My Soul feat. Soweto Gospel Choir
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For Me feat. Charlie Wilson
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Big Heart
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Jerusalema
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Joy feat. Davido
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Nadi Balance feat. Fally Ipupa, The Cavemen, Sheila Maurice-Grey
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Malaika feat. Florent Pagny
Tour Dates
March 26, 2026 – Ann Arbor, MI – Hill Auditorium
March 28, 2026 – Somerville, MA – Somerville Theatre
April 9, 2026 – North Bethesda, MD – The Music Center at Strathmore
April 11, 2026 – Princeton, NJ – McCarter Theatre Center
April 25, 2026 – Stanford, CA – Bing Concert Hall
May 3, 2026 – La Jolla, CA – The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
May 6, 2026 – Cenon, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – Le Rocher de Palmer
May 8, 2026 – Halle (Saale), Germany – Georg Friedrich Handel Halle
May 12, 2026 – Paris, France – L’Olympia
May 13, 2026 – Luxembourg – Luxembourg Philharmonie (Gast Waltzing & Friends)
May 16, 2026 – Brighton, England – Brighton Dome
May 24, 2026 – Würzburg, Germany – Wurzburg Africa Festival
June 5, 2026 – Dublin, Ireland – National Concert Hall (Ife, with the Irish National Symphony)
June 25, 2026 – Niort, France – Niort Jazz Festival
July 6, 2026 – Vienne, France – Jazz a Vienne (w/ Fatoumata Diawara)
Pre-order HOPE!! HERE
Listen to “Fall on Me” HERE
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