The first quarter of 2026 has been one of the slowest in recent history for music releases, whether LPs, EPs, mixtapes, or singles. This drought has led to a double-edged outcome: certain drops receiving more hype than they should have (especially in terms of quality), but also providing ample opportunity for listeners to relish projects released in the past few years.
Heading into May, the labels seem rejuvenated, with rollouts and media rounds in full effect, strategically primed to capture summer audiences later in the year. Everything from surprise collaboration EPs to long-awaited albums and deluxes is on the release slate. And all things considered, the music industry is likely to continue at this high intensity well into the festive season, in search of 2026 ‘Detty December hits.’
In a bid to curate a tasteful listening experience in May, we’ve put together a list of four confirmed projects to look forward to. Here’s to an amazing listening experience in May!
The Game Needs Us EP – Sarz and BNXN (May 11)
Nigeria’s most innovative producer, Sarz, has decided to bless us with a new installment in his collaborative EP series. He’s selected BNXN (fka Buju) to be his co-charioteer on this journey. The gods will be pleased.
For listeners familiar with Sarz’s track record, the mere existence of this project is definitive of two things: experimentation and guaranteed deep cuts bordering on classics. His first collab EP, I LOVE GIRLS WITH TROBUL, with Alternative and R&B singer WurlD, was released in November 2019 to critical acclaim, spurring the hit song MAD and deep cuts like TROBUL. In June 2021, he and singer Lojay released LV N ATTN, a 5-track EP that housed the smash hit Monalisa and the commercially successful Tonongo and LV N ATTN (feat. Wizkid).
As if to prove his star-making power heralded as far back as Wizkid and Niniola’s initial career sojourns—wasn’t a fluke, Sarz and Nigerian-born UK-based singer-songwriter Obongjayar combined to give us Sweetness. This was the first contact with Obongjayar for many Nigerians, a relationship that’s since grown to accommodate the Calabar-born singer’s burgeoning home audience. Also, the Sweetness EP produced Gone Girl, one of the best recordings of the decade.
BNXN is no stranger to joint projects, having released the joint EP, RnB with dancehall star, Ruger, in April 2024. Both artists released albums last year: BNXN’s sophomore CAPTAIN and Sarz’s debut Protect Sarz At All Costs.
The forthcoming EP’s lead single Back Outside, is a mid-tempo Afro-pop record that samples legendary Malian duo Amadou & Mariam’s 1990 song, Neye Mounke Allah La. Although, it’s not enough of an indication of what the rest of the EP would sound like, it’s good enough to pique our interests for an exciting collaboration project by two of the scene’s top talents (coincidentally, it’s the third such project in the mainstream this year after Asake and Wizkid’s REAL Vol. 1 and Joeboy and Wizard Chan’s Agaba Romantic EPs).
Hood Boy Dreams 2 – Jeriq (May 6)
Six years ago, rapper Jeriq burst onto the scene with his first project, the Hood Boy Dreams EP. Its arrival smack bang in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be the perfect launchpad for the rapper who had been making music since 2015. In his home state of Enugu, the reception was widespread and instant, extending to other parts of the South-East, so much so that by his May 2022 album, BILLION DOLLAR DREAM, he had become a cult hero.
There aren’t many places you could go to in the East, shouting his catchphrases “Iyoo,” “Ogbe,” and “Sambalichwa,” or donning any of his blue-themed ‘Iyoo Cartel’ merch without a measure of recognition from his throng of young fans. It’s Jeriq. And if you still don’t understand why that alone explains his fame, consider that he’s sold out multiple stadiums, including the Michael Okpara University and Nnamdi Azikwe StadiumS in Enugu. He’s easily on the same strata of influence rappers like Phyno, Olamide, and the late Dagrin before him commanded regionally.
The project’s lead single BORN TO BE GREAT is a return to his affirmative songwriting over trap instrumentals by regular collaborator Dr Jayswaarg. Think of Hood Boys Dream 2 as more than a 6-year update. It’s an extension of the 26-year-old Nkpor, Onitsha native’s legacy.
Testimony of Grace – Ice Prince (May 1)
If by some stroke of bizarre chance, you haven’t been paying attention to Ice Prince since the 2011 classic Everybody Loves Ice Prince, or if due to the overwhelming tide of new releases, you missed out on his third album, Fire & Ice, in 2024, then this one is for you. J Town’s freshest rapper returns with a 13-track LP and a host of heavyweight features, including Afro-House Queen Niniola, rappers Skibii and Sinzu, introspective singer Llona, and rave-of-the-moment Ghanaian rapper, Medikal. This is one for the hip-hop heads and everyone who’s missed Panshak Zamani’s luxury rhymes.
Fuji Xtra – Adekunle Gold (May 8)
Adekunle Gold’s sixth album Fuji is memorable for a handful of reasons: its cover art featuring the singer dressed in a crimson suede get-up more reminiscent of country music than its titular genre; the intense discourse around representation and the incorporation of fuji on the record; praises for its far-ranging influences from reimagining Yinka Ayefele’s Many People (along with that colourful homage of a video) and Rihanna’s Bitch Better Have My Money (on Coco Money) to the sheer incredulity of having Mavo and Cruel Santino on an AG Baby record, and so much more that made the project a regular fixture on multiple end-of-the-year lists.
For the deluxe version, Fuji Xtra, the ever-evolving Adekunle Gold seems inclined towards even more experimentation. The album’s lead single, Formation features his former label boss Olamide on a dance record that incorporates fuji and rock elements into what he’s termed ‘Electro-fuji’. Get your ear buds, headphones, car speakers, home sound systems, and anything else you can lay your hands on before you press play on this one. You’ll need it.
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