Victony on New Album ‘Starlife’ and How Breakout Hit ‘Soweto’ Encouraged Him ‘To Keep Experimenting’

Victony, the afropop, R&B, and soul artist, is set to release his sophomore album, Starlife, on August 21st, 2026. The album, which features 15 tracks, originated from a four-song EP that began production in February. Victony's creative process was organic, with the EP expanding into a mixtape and eventually becoming a full album.

He expresses his excitement about the album and the growth he experienced throughout the creative process, stating, "I felt it within me to show people that this is what I’m on and I feel like this body of work completely represents where I am right now."

The beginning of Starlife differed from Victony's first album, Stubborn, which was released in 2024. While Stubborn was a musical showcase for his early career, Starlife reveals a more personal version of the artist. He says, "I’m at a point in my life where my personality is really just shining through the music." The album features a variety of collaborators, including BNXN, Blaqbonez, YKB, Babyboy AV, Young Jonn, and FOLA. Victony emphasizes his collaborative approach, saying, "I like that it still has my personality."

Starlife has been a journey for Victony, who has grown from bedroom recordings in Lagos to performing on stages worldwide. The breakout hit "Soweto" demonstrated the global reach of his music, as it reached No. 5 on the U.K.'s Official Afrobeats Chart and No. 1 for a version featuring Rema. This success encouraged Victony to continue experimenting with his sound.

As a result, Starlife features a mix of genres, including aggressive R&B and hip-hop, as seen on tracks like "Clear." The album also emphasizes the importance of visuals, with the team focusing on creating engaging music videos for each song.

Victony is eager to perform Starlife live, with a tour planned for the following year. He will also return to London and New York for performances. Although Starlife represents a significant milestone in his career, Victony is most proud of reaching album number two, especially since it was never his initial plan to release an album this year. He concludes, "So being able to put out another album, even when I didn’t plan for it, it just makes me extremely proud."