Angélique Kidjo Turns Hope Into Radical Act on New Album ‘HOPE’

On her 16-track album dedicated to her late mother, Kidjo reframes hope as a powerful response to grief, uncertainty, and survival.

May 24, 2026 - 14:09

Angélique Kidjo Turns Hope Into Radical Act on New Album ‘HOPE’

For more than 40 years, Angélique Kidjo has treated music as more than a genre. Even after becoming one of the most celebrated African artists in modern music history, the Beninese icon has always treated sound as movement. On HOPE, released on April 24, the five-time Grammy winner returns with one of the most emotional records of her career.

HOPE is dedicated to her late mother Yvonne, whom she lost five years ago. In a post Kidjo shared on Instagram ahead of the album’s release, she reflected on the lessons her mother left behind: “She taught me that every dream I had could be accomplished and that hope for a better future is what makes us human.” Five years after her passing, Kidjo says that message still shapes her life and artistry.

Featuring 16 tracks, the album HOPE embraces optimism and rejects cynicism. Rather than portraying hope as naive, it presents it as a rigorous practice of enduring grief and uncertainty. “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,” Kidjo said in the album’s release statement.

The project assembles one of the most ambitious collaborative lineups of Kidjo’s career. Artists including Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Ayra Starr, Davido, PJ Morton, Nile Rodgers, Charlie Wilson, Fally Ipupa, Diamond Platnumz, The Cavemen, Dadju, IZA, Sheila Maurice-Grey, Soweto Gospel Choir, and Florent Pagny appeared in the album.

Yet despite having a star-studded cast, HOPE didn’t feel overwhelmed by features. Kidjo remains the emotional center of gravity throughout, pulling collaborators into her world rather than disappearing into theirs. The album opens with “Bando” featuring Pharrell and Quavo and closes with “Malaika” featuring Florent Pagny. According to Kidjo, “Malaika” was her mother’s favorite song. Performed with warmth, the song carries emotional weight.

Since emerging from Benin in the 1980s, Kidjo has achieved lasting international recognition without compromising her artistic integrity. Earlier this year, she became the first African performer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, highlighting her efforts to combat the marginalization of African artists in global music.

Still, HOPE never sounds preoccupied with achievement or retrospection. Instead, the album feels energized by possibility. Following its release, Kidjo embarked on tours celebrating the project, with performances scheduled across England, France, Germany, Ireland, and beyond. The physical edition of the album also arrived in the United States in May.

At a time when optimism often feels emotionally hollow, Angélique Kidjo approaches hope as something chosen repeatedly despite grief, uncertainty, and exhaustion. The album recognizes how important joy is, because it is found in the middle of struggle, not apart from it.

HOPE Tracklist:

1. Bando feat. Pharrell and Quavo

2. Aye Kan feat. Ayra Starr

3. No Stopping Us

4. Fall On Me feat. PJ Morton

5. Oyaya feat. Nile Rodgers and IZA

6. Superwoman feat. Dadju

7. I’m On Fire feat. The Cavemen

8. You Can

9. Kakua feat. Diamond Platnumz

10. Sunlight To My Soul feat. Soweto Gospel Choir

11. For Me feat. Charlie Wilson