Moonchild Sanelly will also host a 2025 headline tour of the UK and Ireland kicking off in Manchester on 18th March, with dates in Dublin, Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and Bristol, before a return to London for what promises to be an unforgettable night at Heaven on 26th March. See below for a full list of all tour dates, plus tickets and information Here.
Full Moon is the third studio album from the self-described musical shapeshifter. Recorded in Malawi, the UK and Sweden,and produced by Johan Hugo (Self Esteem, MIA, Kano), it is a collection of 12 tracks showcasing Sanelly’s unique sonic fingerprint, joyous attitude, distinctive vocals and genre-bending hit-making prowess. Full Moon’s club-ready beats oscillate between electronic, afro-punk, edgy-pop, kwaito, and hip-hop sensibilities, with latest single To Kill a Single Girl (Tequila) is the latest in a run of brand new song releases from the trailblazing South African ghetto-funk superstar, further revealing the breadth, scope and ambition of the album.
Moonchild said – “I called this record FULL MOON to convey a really clear sense that I got from living and writing these experiences. Phases showcased all my sides, the different phases of the moon, and this one is all those parts of me being in unison with each other. When the moon is in phases, it shows parts of itself at a time. Full Moon is me, lit up in my entirety. The arrival of my whole self. It’s the arrival.”
She added – “FULL MOON is a culmination of everything that I needed to experience to get to this point, every emotion I had to feel, everything I went through… This project has it all, from beginning to end. The fights, the sadness, the getting back up, the letting go, the forgiveness, the acceptance. There’s a sense of mental and spiritual togetherness that comes with forgiveness and it makes you whole. So here I am, a FULL Moon.”
Moonchild kicked off her return in May 2024 with the release of first single and “audacious anthem” [CLASH] Scrambled Eggs, with two further singles Sweet & Savage – which premiered with an exclusive show for COLORSxSTUDIOS – and the “infectiously tongue-in-cheek hit’ [DIY] Big Booty lighting up the crowds at festivals across Europe, including ten shows at Glastonbury alone. Album track Gwara Gwara has been included on the EA Sports FC25 Soundtrack, listen HERE.
This summer also saw the release of Big Man, a collaboration with the acclaimed artist Self Esteem which was hailed a Song of the Summer 2024 by The Guardian, a track which saw the “alt-pop future superstars” team up for “a big, buoyant, ball-buster…”; as well as Mad (ft. Moonchild Sanelly) which saw her join creative forces with Steve Aoki, and most recently Streets Is Calling with Ezra Collective and M.anifest.
The tracklisting for Full Moon is:
1. Scrambled Eggs
2. Big Booty
3. In My Kitchen
4. To Kill a Single Girl (Tequila)
5. Do My Dance
6. Falling
7. Gwara Gwara
8. Boom
9. Sweet & Savage
10. I Love People
11. Mntanami
12. I Was the Biggest Curse
Full Moon is available in the following formats: CD; Digital Download; and Limited Edition Glow-in-the-dark Vinyl LP
Pre order / pre save Full Moon HERE
UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2025
18 March YES (The Pink Room), MANCHESTER, UK
20 March The Grand Social, DUBLIN, Ireland
21 March The Wardrobe, LEEDS, UK
22 March King Tut’s, GLASGOW, UK
24 March Hare & Hounds, BIRMINGHAM, UK
25 March Strange Brew, BRISTOL, UK
26 March Heaven, LONDON, UK
For tickets and information, visit https://www.moonchildsanelly.com/#gigs
ABOUT MOONCHILD SANELLY
READ ‘FULL MOON’ ALBUM BIO HERE
Trailblazing South African musician Moonchild Sanelly has always, since the very beginning, determinedly done things her own way. An artistic visionary, her drive to succeed is fuelled by an innate creativity, unique self-expression and extraordinary confidence, all underpinned by personal pain, trauma and a deep conviction and commitment to standing up for what she believes in.
Growing up in Port Elizabeth, Moonchild’s (born Sanelisiwe Twisha) music-filled childhood was one of creative exploration: whether it was self-choreographing dance routines to Spice Girls tracks, teaching herself to play the piano, singing at church with her family or writing poetry, artistic expression was always encouraged.
A move to Durban in 2005 to study fashion saw Sanelly become immersed in the local music scene, and later in Johannesburg, she would write for reggae bands and freestyle against other rappers, often overcoming misogynistic attitudes in the process. “In my writing, I would pay homage to my hard times and the many years that I struggled, because it has shaped me,” she says. She soon established her own signature sound: self-described as ‘future-ghetto-funk’, which would catapult Moonchild Sanelly to fame as South Africa’s most unique performer. With her electrifying live show – and self-designed flamboyant outfits – she became a superstar on her home turf. With an eye on audiences outside of South Africa, a commercialised approach to unapologetically spreading her message – one of female sexual empowerment – “liberation for women, in the bedroom, in the boardroom, knowing your power… I needed to be heard by a lot of people” – soon found a global audience which saw her invited to perform at festivals such as SXSW, Primavera, Glastonbury, Boardmasters, Greenman Festival, Off Festival and Kalorama Festival, as well as a nomination for The Anchor Award 2024 at Reeperbahn Festival.
A rarity as an uncompromising alternative artist who has found success in a commercial space, Moonchild Sanelly is a true fighter and unparalleled force of nature. “I fought everything for me to exist as myself and to win as myself,” she says, putting her ambition down to her mum’s passing when she was a teenager. “I was constantly reminded about my magic and my power… that nothing is impossible.”
Her award-winning first studio album Rabulpha! in 2015 signaled her arrival as an artist to watch and saw her collaborate with local favourites Maphorisa, Sho Madjozi and Thandiswa Mazwai. In the years that followed, she caught the attention of a host of international superstars, leading to high-profile collaborations with artists including Wizkid and Beyonce (featuring on ‘… MY POWER’, as part of ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ soundtrack, in 2019) and Gorillaz (on ‘With Love To An Ex’, in 2020)
Her new studio album Full Moon is out on 10th January 2025 on Transgressive Records.
