Temitope Adeiye
2018 has been an amazing year for Nigerian music. Wizkid sold out the 02 arena, a 20,000 capaity hall in May, Davido performed to over 10,000 fans in Suriname, South Americain that same May and Adekunle Gold recently sold out the Indigo at the 02 Arena less than a week ago.
Nigerian music is global. Half of the year has gone by and there have been so many bangers and hits already.
In no particular order, here are our best 10:
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Soco – Wizkid, Terri and Ceeza Milli
Wizkid has perfected the art of catchy, repetitive one-liners and Soco is the most successful manifestation so far.
Along with members of Starboy, Wizkid delivers this banger that sets the roofs on fire and has you dancing along. Even if the only thing you can hear all through is ‘Soco’.
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Fake love – Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
The Port-Harcourt son is a legend, and Wizkid thinks so too. So, having them work together is guaranteed to produce nothing but magic.
Even though Duncan Mighty has been off the radar for a while, that doesn’t affect his delivery on this song.
Although it is about the tired topic of unrequited love and how some girls only love for material gain. The song is dope and Wizkid even spoke Ikwerre on the track.
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Kana – Olamide, Wizkid
Many years ago, Olamide and Wizkid collaborated on ‘omo to shan’ as upcoming artistes. At that time, one could see their potential but no could have foreseen the extent to which they’d grow individually.
After many years, many hits, many awards, these young men have come together once more to make a banger. This time, as authorities in the Nigerian and African music industry.
The video is below expectations but Kana is a jam and a half
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Science student – Olamide
There is a drug problem in Nigeria and everyone seems to be ignoring it. Olamide’s Science student is about drugs and how youth mix and concoct all sort of chemical substances in a bid to get high.
At first, it was unclear what Olamide’s position is on drug use, the video definitely makes that clear as there are signs saying ‘say no to drug abuse’. The video also depicts the adverse effects of drug abuse.
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Codeine diet- DJ Enimomey, Tiwa Savage, Reminisce
Unlike his elder brother who spoke against drug use, DJ Enimony made a song about codeine. While you can rightly feel anger at the message of the song, and how advocating for a codeine diet is promoting drug use, you can’t help but feel the beat and dance along.
Seriously, you can only shaku shaku in anger, but you will shaku shaku, regardless.
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Bobo – Mayorkun, Davido
So far, Mayorkun doesn’t have one bad song. Since he released his first single ‘Eleko’, Mayorkun has been dropping hits back to back.
For this track, he teamed up with his label boss to deliver a banger. Again, the song is about how money makes you attractive, it is still a hit.
‘Suit yourself like Jidenna’, Shakespeare could never.
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Mind – DMW
Davido records successes with love songs, from ‘Aye’ to ‘Gobe’ to ‘Assurance’, he does have a way with love songs.
On Mind, he teams up with his label mates, Mayorkun, Dremo and Peruzzi and it is a jam!
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Ire – Adekunle Gold
Of course, everyone knows the Genius that is Adekunle Gold. Before releasing his album About 30, he released Ire as a sneak peek.
The song speaks about making the most of where you are, taking charge of your destiny and not to always think that the grass is greener elsewhere.
Much of the song is prayer, prophesy and self-reassurance. Ire translates to goodness and ‘goodness is calling out to me’ is repeated many times throughout the song.
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Assurance – Davido
Davido unveiled his girlfriend publicly and cemented it with a song. After publicly claiming her, buying her a Porsche, he made the song about her and she is featured in the video.
Assurance evolved into a pop culture slang and though the song itself wasn’t well received at first, it grew on fans to become one of the club bangers this year.
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Ye- Burna Boy:
Burna Boy is in a world and the league of his own. Ye seems to be heavily based on Fela Anikulapo’s ‘Sorrow, tears and blood’.
In a twist of fate, the song climbed up rapidly on the music charts after Kanye West’s album also titled ‘Ye’. In spite of being filled with energy, Ye addresses serious issues.
