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For all its moments of transcendence and apparent victory laps, 2024 has been a rollercoaster for Nigerian pop. Early into the year, conversations about the state of pop music in the country were steeped in trepidation about the future of the genre. Today, the rhetoric has taken on a new shape. Powered by brilliant albums […]
For all its moments of transcendence and apparent victory laps, 2024 has been a rollercoaster for Nigerian pop. Early into the year, conversations about the state of pop music in the country were steeped in trepidation about the future of the genre. Today, the rhetoric has taken on a new shape. Powered by brilliant albums from Tems, Rema, Ayra Starr and Victony, as well as a deluge of colorful singles from artists across the board, Nigerian pop has once again hit its stride.
It’s against this backdrop that this mid-year list has been curated. It reflects the variety and uncertainty that has come to define this year, featuring songs that reference the past to create the future, songs that summon beauty from the current zeitgeist, as well as lightweight summer bangers to anchor the traditional listener. Perhaps unlike similar lists of the past, this list takes a still-shot of Nigerian pop at a crucial moment of evolution.
“Quality versus quantity” has forever been a raging debate in the world of art. It usually goes that the artist sacrifices quality — or at the very least the air of mystique that comes with scarcity — when they ramp up their release cycle. Seyi Vibez seems to exist outside the bounds of this principle. On Ogo, a standout on one of the two projects he has released this year, he continues the process of softening the compositionally challenging constructions that coloured his earlier works; an effort he began on his Nahamciaga EP. Supported by British rapper Tion Wayne, he surfs a glistening Afro-Swing production that feels like the perfect summer vacation.
Big Big Things is what one would expect when three serial hitmakers combine. The Amapiano-inflected record pulls together the disparate styles of the artists into a wholesome flourish, producing a triumphant club staple.
In an era when bubbly love numbers are fast becoming a relic of the past, Joeboy remains one of its fiercest proponents. On Adenuga, Joeboy and Qing Madi’s vocals glaze the summery RnB-meets-Afropop backdrop as they deliver a romance fantasia.
On Billions, frequent collaborators Sarz and Lojay unite for their second effort since their feted 2021 joint EP LV N ATTN. True to form, Lojay serves saccharine-sweet melodies, whilst Sarz is typically flawless atop the ambient production.
With her debut album 19 and Dangerous, Ayra Starr cemented herself as an ambassador of the imperious Afrobeats to the World movement. On her sophomore album The Year I Turned 21, she shows no signs of fatigue, and Woman Commando is one of the gleaming jewels of the project. On Woman Comando, she enlists Coco Jones and Anitta for the ultimate feminist anthem. Over an arresting production, she paints a vivid portrait of female strength.
Since her entrance to the industry in 2018 with Mr Rebel, Tems has been one of RnB’s biggest proponents in Nigeria. However, her status as perhaps RnB’s foremost advocate in the country has hardly stopped her from occasionally fusing her core sonic essence with other musical influences. On Get it Right, this cross-pollination of styles comes into focus as she taps one of Afropop’s finest, Asake, for a mesmerizing party starter.
With his just-released debut album Stubborn, Victony may have cemented himself as the new king of mellow Afropop, or at least the youngest and most obvious contender for the crown. On Stubborn, he taps Asake for a brilliantly mellow pop number whose theme ironically revolves around his intransigence.
Starting in 2022 with Coffee, Odeal has gradually earned a reputation as a purveyor of sleeper hits. In 2023, he further consolidated this reputation with the Brazy-assisted Be Easy. With over 2 million streams on Spotify, as well as increasing vitality on TikTok, Soh-Soh represents the latest addition to his portfolio. Over a bouncy Highlife production, he summons a cinematic romance fantasy that feels like the soundtrack to a day at a beachfront festooned with towering coconut trees and sparkling white sand.
Rema has been one of Afropop’s leading innovators since his debut half a decade ago, and with Heis, he’s launched a bold new chapter that combines the percussion-helmed soundscape of its predecessor, Ravage, with ominous chords that recall a horror movie score. On the titular Heis, he oscillates between boastful swagger and fierce warning to his detractors over menacing chords and choral inflections. The result is an atypical party staple.
In 2023, Soweto, from Victony’s 2022 Outlaw EP, reached global hit status. Risk, the standout from his debut album Stubborn, is the creation of a star poised for another global domination jaunt. Complete with an addictive hook, mesmerizing melodies and earworm lyrics, Risk is the quintessential song of the summer.