Pearl Thusi is an ever-evolving creative force stepping into a powerful musical rebirth where her sound
becomes a picture and her story finds new voice. Photo: Supplied
There are moments in music where sound becomes something more — something visual, almost spiritual. Moments where you don’t just hear a song, you see the person behind it.
Sodwa, Pearl Thusi’s debut single featuring the legendary Ihashi Elimhlophe, arrives exactly like that. It does not knock on the door; it simply opens it and fills the room with a portrait, one painted in Afrosoul brushstrokes, dusted with maskandi earth, and framed by memories of home.
It is a simple song about African resilience, love, and celebration.
It is rare to witness an artist who sounds like themselves immediately, without hesitation or mimicry. But Sodwa holds reminiscences of the Thusi we’ve come to know: bold yet tender, familiar yet consistently surprising. The song stretches beyond mere sonic pleasure. It becomes an image, an old photograph warmed by time, where beauty lies not only in what is seen but in what is remembered.
The Afrosoul beat dances with the unmistakable maskandi pulse, giving the track a texture that is undeniably South African. It fits effortlessly in a club, yet it also finds sanctuary in the backseat of a taxi weaving through the late afternoon rush, the basslines hugging the chatter of commuters and the rhythm syncing with the beat of township streets. It is music that travels across generations, across spaces, across hearts.
“My team and I try so hard to make cinematic music, even when it’s light and upbeat,” Thusi explains. “So I like that it sounds like a picture, because that is exactly what we try to do.” And indeed, Sodwa plays out like cinema — soft light, a sepia undertone, silhouettes of love and legacy.
For Thusi, stepping into her DJ and music era is less of a new venture and more of a culmination and a weaving together of everything she has been, everything she has survived, everything she is yet to become.
Thusi is a South African actress, media personality, entrepreneur, model, and now musician, celebrated for her dynamic presence locally and internationally. Known for her breakout roles in productions like Queen Sono, Quantico and Catching Feelings, she has built a reputation as a versatile storyteller who moves seamlessly between screen, stage, and sound.
Beyond acting, she has carved out a space for herself as a respected TV host and DJ, constantly expanding her creative footprint. Thusi’s career is marked by a fearless willingness to explore new artistic territories, all while remaining rooted in her heritage, her family’s legacy, and her commitment to telling authentic African stories.
“A part of it is so difficult because the other parts of my career are so advanced,” she admits. “This one took so long because I tried to fast-forward it.”
There is vulnerability in that confession, a softness rarely seen in entertainment spaces obsessed with the illusion of seamless perfection. But what makes this moment powerful is her acceptance. “I’ve had to let myself understand that I won’t have the best of everything else apart from the music itself because there is no better version of this song that I’m aware of.”
The humility in her voice carries weight. Sodwa may be a beginning, but it is not naive. It is grounded in intention, in stories, in heritage.
Many associate Pearl Thusi with her decades-long presence on screens, both local and international. But music, especially making it, has reshaped her understanding of creation.
“I never understood how expensive this process is. How labour-intensive the administration and logistics are.” She laughs, the kind of laughter that comes from lessons learned the hard way. “It’s been quite a journey and I’m so excited for it to finally come out. This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever had to be because now I’m in so much control, unlike before.”
Control, for Thusi, is a double-edged sword. As an actress, model, and media personality, audiences see her as the face of a project, but behind the scenes someone else is usually steering the ship.
“With a lot of the work I do, someone is always in charge. Yes, publicly I might get the slack for certain things, but in the backend someone else is calling the shots.”
Music changed that. It returned autonomy to her hands — and with autonomy came courage.
The cover art of Sodwa deepens the emotional resonance of the song: an image of her parents outside their first home, sometime between 1985 and 1987. Newly married. Young. Hopeful. Dreaming. “My dad loved getting his pictures taken. Not so much later in life, but back then he loved swagging out and capturing the moment. That picture is young love and doing life together.”
The photograph is more than nostalgia; it is preservation. “When you’ve lost your parents, you grasp at anything to keep them alive. To keep their memory in the physical sense.”
Her voice softens again, warm and reflective.
“My mom never got to experience what all her hard work and sacrifices eventually became. So I try to make her part of everything I do. Releasing my first song publicly I had to honour those who gave birth to me.”
Across the decades, Ihashi Elimhlophe has remained a towering figure of South African music, carving a legacy through authenticity and storytelling. To have him featured on Sodwa is, for Thusi, nothing short of surreal. “It’s crazy that I have a song with Ihashi Elimhlophe. I cannot believe it.”
She recalls the moment he recorded his part: “He said, ‘Ngihamba naye intombazane, uPearl Thusi,’ and I got excited. I was thinking of using another name for my music, but after hearing that, I decided otherwise.”
The collaboration was not only validating, it was deeply personal.“Since I was a little girl, I lived to impress my dad. And even in the afterlife I’m still doing things to impress him. I know he’d be proud of this collaboration.”
Working with Ihashi Elimhlophe offered more than musical enrichment; it offered acceptance. “He supports me and has accepted me, not just him, but his talented family as well.”
When asked about her sound, Thusi resists rigid labels. “People ask what genre I make. My genre is the message. I haven’t figured out my sound, and I’m not prioritising that. All I know is that it sounds beautiful, it lifts my spirits, it’s catchy, it’s a vibe and it’s cute.”
Her influences span continents and generations: Ihashi Elimhlophe, Busi Mhlongo, Thandiswa Mazwai, Angie Stone, Jill Scott, Bob Marley, Beyoncé. From storytellers to soul-bearers, she draws from the timeless.
She hopes her music, like theirs, grows beyond trends. Beyond algorithms. Beyond the moment.
Thusi’s journey into music began behind the decks. “I told myself that if I don’t release this song this year, I’m leaving this music thing because I’m not serious.”
Sodwa was created two to three years ago. The original plan was simple: make music she could spin during DJ sets, carving out her space as a reputable DJ.
“For some people I may not be the most talented or most popular DJ, but I know I’m good. I’m good at mixing and song selection — I’m good at what I put my mind to. Once I got good at DJing, I asked myself what’s next? And production was the next challenge.”
Thusi is, in many ways, like a tree with countless branches, each season offering a new sprout, a new story, a new possibility.
Sodwa is more than a debut single. It is a photograph turned melody.A daughter’s offering to her parents. A collaboration born of respect. A rebirth stitched together with rhythm and remembrance.
It is rare to encounter music that feels like an image, rarer still to encounter an artist unafraid to let the world witness her transformation. But Thusi, in this moment, stands firmly in her truth. She is beginning again, with courage, with gratitude, and with a soundtrack that feels like home.