Jamie-Lee Sexton has a new single out, and it was made for the dance floor. “Dancing on the edge” dropped on all major digital platforms on Friday, 16 October, the latest offering from the chart-topping, award-winning South African pop star. It follows the first release from her new era, which has already made waves on charts across the country.
The sound is retro meets future. It is a glittery, infectious pop anthem driven by a strong beat, blending magnetic 80s-inspired textures, addictive melodies, standout electric-guitar riffs and a hook that keeps pulling you back in. Nostalgic enough to feel instantly familiar, but polished and undeniably modern: a bold new chapter for one of South Africa’s established pop voices.
“I wrote ‘Dancing on the Edge’ in search of a feeling that would set me free. To give up control and surrender. There’s freedom in giving yourself over to the music, the beat and the movement.”
For Jamie-Lee, that feeling is the whole point. “Once you find something that makes you feel alive, you don’t want to let it go,” she says. “For me, that was this song.”
How she got here
Raised in Magaliesburg, Jamie-Lee started her musical journey at four and had mastered guitar and piano by her teens. She studied live performance at AFDA in Johannesburg, winning Best Actress twice, before her national breakthrough in 2010 when she reached the Top 8 on Idols South Africa.
From there she moved across genres and stages: Afro house-infused live sets with Soul Candi’s DJ Parkah in Audiophreniq, festival runs with her live act The Sextons, then a solo career built on more personal songwriting. Her EP Medicine Woman debuted at number one on iTunes. Singles that followed earned her three 2023 Basadi Music Awards nominations, for Best Songwriter, Best Music Video and Best Pop Artist, and a Best Music Video win at the EVMA Awards.
She has worked with Ghanaian Grammy-winning producer C-Tea, collaborated with house legend Mobi Dixon, completed two national tours and shared festival stages with The Chainsmokers, Kendrick Lamar, Swedish House Mafia and H.E.R. In 2025 she added DJing to the list, partnering with Pioneer South Africa.
Now she is back in studio on a new body of work. If “Dancing on the edge” is a sign of where it is heading, this new era is one to keep your ears on.
Stream “Dancing on the edge” now on all major digital platforms: linktr.ee/JamieLeeSexton
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