Local songstress Lize Ehlers is quick off the creative mark as ‘Call on Me’, her latest single featuring Shafa The G.O.A.T, makes its way up the local charts. Named the 2026 entry song of the year by Touch FM and winner of IUM Radio’s Battle of the Beats on 5 January, the track was produced by Solani Glo and dropped on 31 December last year.
“The eve of a new year is a threshold for me. A moment where time softens, and intention becomes possible. My birthday follows the next day and it’s always a moment of recalibration for me,” says Ehlers of the track which debuted alongside a vibey music video directed by Shafa The G.O.A.T.
“‘Call On Me’ was released as a reminder to enter the new year consciously. Rooted, awake and anchored in self-belief. It’s not about rushing forward, but about arriving fully. It was deeply important for me to end the old year with new energy.”
The track is one of 10 on an album also called ‘Call On Me’ which includes a number of collaborations such as ‘Happy’ featuring Gazza, ‘Follow’ with Makufikufi, ‘Kudos’ alongside DJ Alu, ‘Le Afrika’ with Devitchi and ‘Adam & Eve’ featuring Zambia’s The BeatBanger.
Described as an “anthem for the soul” and a “visual prayer”, ‘Call on Me’ impresses in Ehlers’ soaring vocals and Shafa the G.O.A.T’s grounding delivery which combine to present a dynamic, invigorating and genre-fluid track.
“‘Call on Me’ lives in the space between Afro-spiritual, alternative soul and cinematic African pop,” says Ehlers.
“Shafa the G.O.A.T and I weren’t chasing trends. We were focused on genre fusion and feeling every single bar in the song. Our producer Solani Glo brought depth, restraint and texture to the sound, allowing silence and emotion to co-exist. The track moves like a ritual for us.”
Reflecting on the song’s title and intention, Ehlers says ‘Call on Me’ is about remembering where power truly lives and that the call is both inward and outward.
“We’re calling on our own strength, our resilience, our breath. After that, we’re calling in the ancestors, the lineages and the stories that carried us here,” she says. “It’s about knowing that when the world feels loud or uncertain, you are not empty, you are supported, layered and held by everything that came before you.”
As Ehlers met Shafa The G.O.A.T just a few months ago, ‘Call on Me’ is a testimony to their immediate creative chemistry and productivity.
“I always knew of Dolce & Kapana, but never met the owner. And when Shafa and I met, it was quick and amazing. We just found ourselves in a space of mutual respect and creative curiosity,” Ehlers says. “Shafa has an ability to be grounded and expansive at the same time. I admire his fearlessness, his refusal to dilute his voice. There’s no performance for ego.”
In the simple but effective music video, Ehlers and Shafa The G.O.A.T cut wise and formidable African figures against nature and a bright white sky.
“This song marks a shift for me. It’s the beginning of a more intentional era, one that honours depth over noise. It reflects my evolution as an artist who is less concerned with proving and more invested in anchoring,” says Ehlers.
“This year is about expansion without dilution. Global. As I prepare for an EP with Shafa, we will push ‘Call On Me’ into awards and marketing, to show team work makes the dream work.”
As the new year begins, Ehlers dedicates ‘Call on Me’ to anyone rebuilding and remembering themselves.
“For the local industry, my wish is courage,” she says. “Courage to invest in originality, to collaborate generously and to believe that Namibia belongs on the world stage without apology.”
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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