Actress, media personality and DJ Pearl Thusi is stepping boldly into a new creative chapter, sharing her most vulnerable side yet through her upcoming single Sodwa. The emotional track, which officially releases on Thursday, 27 November 2025, is a deeply personal tribute to her late parents. Featuring DJ Melzi and legendary musician Ihhashi Elimhlophe, Sodwa marks a defining moment in Pearl’s artistic journey.
Speaking to The Citizen, Pearl shared how the song is not only a creative milestone, but an intimate way of honouring her father’s memory.
“We were not competitive, but I lived to impress my father since I was a child, I’d do anything to impress my dad. This is just one of those things, so I might as well make him a part of it even though he can’t physically be here to celebrate it,” she says.
Pearl describes her late father as a spirited music lover. “He was a Zulu man from KZN… he loved his Vusi Ximba, his R&B… they used to call him Lionel Ritchie in the ’hood because he had this afro,” she laughs fondly.
With her father having once played in a band, working with Ihhashi Elimhlophe felt like the perfect way to honour him. “My dad is part of every decision that I make, even in all the sad moments in my life.”
The collaboration came together after Pearl approached Ihhashi Elimhlophe’s wife, actress and musician Linah Ngcobo, who helped connect them. “I sent them three or two songs and said ‘I’d be happy to work with uBaba… here are songs, if there’s anything that moves him, I’d be greatly happy. He chose the song.’”
“He did it and I was in tears,” Pearl says, describing how emotional she felt hearing his contribution. “I feel covered. Like there’s a spiritual blanket has covered me,” she adds.
In her interview with Drum, Pearl also opened up about her beginnings as a singer and what Sodwa represents for her. She revealed that the song is rooted in the sounds of her childhood.
“Any musician who comes out is going to be influenced by music that has spoken to them in the past; for me, it’s a big part of who I am. I’m thinking about the music my parents played, and I think ‘Sodwa’ is, in a way, a dedication to those sounds. The language, messages and feelings — it’s all borrowed from the artists who came before me,” she explains.
Pearl sees the single not just as a debut, but as a celebration of African culture and unity. “It’s to promote African inclusivity, but more than anything else, it’s to pay homage to all the songs that have carried me through all the different times in my life,” she says.
Growing up as a Zulu girl surrounded by Maskandi music, she describes the collaboration with Ihhashi Elimhlophe as a full-circle moment. “It was a dream come true to have lhashe Elimhlophe involved in this project. He’s worked with so many big artists, and this is my first song, so him agreeing to work with me is a big deal. I’m really feeling blessed and excited about this.”
Although stepping into music has been nerve-wracking, Pearl says she is grateful for the team that encouraged her to take the leap.
“If it wasn’t for the guys I work with who convinced me to do it, I wouldn’t be having this conversation about this particular song ever,” she admits.
She also reflected on the creative freedom she experienced for the first time. “I was involved so much in the direction of what this was going to look like. I had so much more creative control than I’ve ever had in my life… with acting, gigging, and interviewing, I was simply leveraging off someone else’s work… but with this song I had substantial creative control.”
As she waits for the world to hear Sodwa, Pearl says she is overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m petrified, I’m scared, I’m nervous, but I’m as excited. I’m blown away by the blessings that are hopefully going to come with this.”
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