There's no denying 2020 has had its fair share of low points. With a pandemic still raging and the country still under restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, 2020 hasn't been a year full of wins.
However, the same can't be said for "future ghetto punk" musician Moonchild Sanelly. The star grabbed every opportunity with open arms and 2020 has been her year.
From humble Port-Elizabeth beginnings to earning in pounds alongside artists such as Beyoncé and Gorillaz, here's how 2020 was the year of Moonchild!
Starting the year with a bang, Moonchild featured in Beyoncé's Black is King music video inspired by Disney's The Lion King.
Nandi Madida, Mary Twala, Nyaniso Dzedze, Connie Chiume and Warren Masemola were some of the Mzansi stars who also featured in the groundbreaking music video.
Moonchild appeared in the Beyoncé-curated album The Lion King: The Gift on the track My Power alongside local fave Busiswa.
Speaking about being handpicked to work with Queen Bey, the star wanted to let her haters know she's the definition of "levels" with her win.
“I have no words to explain and express my gratitude for being one of the chosen ones for The Lion King soundtrack by my ultimate favourite artist in the world, Beyoncé, y’all. Anyone who knows me or Googles interviews has heard me say one day I’ll work with the Queen! They laughed. Look who got the last laugh now! Dreams come true and nothing is impossible,” Moonchild said.
Though she owned the year with class, there have been moments when the star has been knocked down, but she wasn't kept down for long with that fiery Moonchild spirit.
After radio stations allegedly refused to play the song Askies Mr JazziQ featuring Moonchild, the international sensation took to Instagram to call out radio stations for their "double standards".
With claims the song was "too explicit" to air, Moonchild didn't hold back on how she felt.
“How many women are objectified by men in songs but you play them on radio? How many international songs that don’t celebrate women but talk about women being objectified by rappers? And now you wanna take down a song that makes every single woman, whatever the size, feel confident?” Moonchild asked.
The power of her rant and persuasion seemed to have worked well in her favour. Speaking to TimesLIVE, the star confirmed the "ban" had been lifted, and said this was a win for body positivity.
An unexpected collaboration this year was when Moonchild released a single with British virtual band Gorillaz.
After meeting the Grammy-award winning punk group in 2018, the star has been working closely with them ever since. On their latest album Song Machine, Moonchild featured on the song With Love to An Ex.
The star said it was a dream come true for her to work with her childhood idols.
“We are pretty close. Every time I'm in London, every time we can, we see each other. It's a really nice working relationship. From people who you grew up admiring to working with them, to them becoming your peers, it's f**king amazing,” said Moonchild.
With her work on Black is King and With Love to An Ex, the star has been recognised internationally for her original sound.
Moonchild's latest EP Nude hasn't just touched the hearts of SA, the star is working her way across the seven continents with her music.
In an interview with TshisaLIVE, the Bashiri hitmaker said she is proud knowing there are people out there loving her music regardless of understanding Xhosa. Moonchild said she had always dreamed of her career going overseas.
“It's exactly how I dreamt to see my career grow. It's really amazing being appreciated outside your country, ngesXhosa, in your language and it just shows another little black kid that you're enough, you're perfect and you should just go for it. The world is your oyster and everything is possible,” Moonchild said.