She recently dropped her first Amapiano single titled Johnny. This is an introduction to the world of Amapiano after cementing herself as a female rapper, actress, TV host and all-rounder. Anele Zondo, fondly known among her fans as Ney The Bae, tells ZiMoja that the song is a feel-good summer song. "Johnny is a feel-good dance song, inspired by a nursery rhyme I used to play when I was younger," she says.

MAKING MUSIC

Most of her music is inspired by her experiences with some added spice and a good twist. In Johnny, she has a jam-packed list of credits that she chose wisely. "Most of my features are organic," she says. "Optimist Music has a few hits in amapiano already as well as Boi Bizza. We have master producer Tony Duardo, so all those elements came together really well to create this banger. "

GOING THE AMAPIANO ROUTE

She is renowned for her thought-provoking yet fun bars in her hip-hop music, but decided to go the Amapiano route, to show her versatility. "In the words of the late and great Whitney Houston; a great song is a great song," she says. "I'm not genre specific, the first EP I dropped (YTYKM -You Think You Know Me) had a mixture of four genres to show my versatility. I'm a musician, not a genre so I'll always want to deliver a song I relate to and feel strongly about."

HIGHS AND LOWS

From gracing red carpets and concerts and hosting some of the biggest award ceremonies, Anele has achieved a lot in the short time she has been in the limelight. But it has not been easy. "Finding my feet as an independent artist has been tough," she says. "It's quite a hard reality and it takes time to fully understand the music business." But she embraces every moment and carries her mom's wisdom and teachings with her. "Honestly my mom, and women who are unafraid to take risks and work smart to create their own narrative and generational wealth whilst looking good and exuding great vibes, inspire me," she says. Anele has taken time to find her place in the industry but is now ready to explore. "Finding my voice in music and music finding me has been a highlight for me," she says. "Being a part of people's lives without meeting them and helping them carve memories with my art has also been one of the greatest rewards."

CHILDHOOD INSPIRATION

Anele believes she wouldn't have achieved her success alone. "There are people who gave me an opportunity before and believed in my light, such as Sipho Ngwenya," she says. "He saw me auditioning to be a presenter and gave me my first break in that space. My agents for putting me forward. The little voice in me that always tells me to keep going, even when the going gets tough." Growing up, Anele says her dad made them listen to classics which contributed to her versatility. "Your Barry White's, Earth, Wind and Fire, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston. I grew up enjoying the local pop star sounds of your Lebo Mathosa, then I got into liking hip hop from YMCMB to Krump music, then into the Rihanna pop eras. My life has been jam-packed with different musical vibes and inspirations."

GOING GLOBAL

Locally, she has worked with some of her favourite artists in the country and she can't wait to share those collaborations in her upcoming project. "Internationally I still wish to work with Asake, Rema, Doja Cat, Summer Walker, Drake, Lil Uzi, Drake, and Rihanna - If she ever decides to go back to music," she concludes.