Kenyan singer Justina Syokau has once again made headlines with her latest song, dedicated to 2025. Known for her annual tradition of releasing New Year’s music, Syokau’s new release comes with mixed reactions from her fans. The controversy around her New Year songs began in 2020 with her hit track Twendi Twendi, which earned her millions of views on YouTube. However, the year also saw the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent lockdown, leading some fans to jokingly blame her for “ruining the year.”
Despite the playful criticism, Syokau embraced the humor, and instead of backing down, she continued her trend of releasing New Year’s songs. As 2025 approaches, she’s now dropped another track, which she refers to as an “anointed” song on social media, calling on fans to watch it on YouTube. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “Mwaka wa kuinuliwa, mwaka wakukumbukwa, 2025 song YouTube trending”, expressing her excitement about the release.
However, as expected, the singer’s new song has sparked yet another wave of lighthearted criticism from her fans. Comments like, “Wewe si tulikwambia usiimbie mwaka tena” (Didn’t we tell you not to sing about the year again?) and “Huyu ndo anaharibingi mwaka” (This is the one who ruins the year) flooded her social media pages. Many Kenyans jokingly accuse Syokau of “jinxing” the year, with some even suggesting that they will “check back next year” to see if anything disastrous happens following her release.
Despite the banter, Syokau’s loyal fan base continues to support her, and her songs still manage to trend every year. Some even express amusement at her consistency, as seen in comments like “For a moment, we had forgotten about this” and “This lady really does jinx the year.” The playful accusations haven’t seemed to deter her, as she remains determined to make her mark with another year-end song.
As the clock ticks down toward 2025, it remains to be seen whether Syokau will continue her annual tradition of new year music, but one thing is clear: she has become an inextricable part of Kenya’s New Year celebrations, whether fans love it or not.
