From the vivid adoption of South Africa’s Amapiano to the emergence of new names like Ruger, Ayra Starr, Lojay, and the meteoric rise of Buju, the Nigerian music scene is having a year unlike any other.

The first half of 2021 has seen artists like Rema put their best foot forward, netting three #1 records and Ladipoe keeping pace amidst releases from heavyweights like Olamide and Burna Boy.

We’re thrilled with the music being churned out by Nigerian artists and thought to update you on our favorite so far.

Ladipoe – Feelings (feat. Buju)

Following his stellar run that was crowned with the Best Collaboration win at the Headies in 2020, Ladipoe extends his reign with the Buju-assisted “Feelings”.

The record, which immediately became a people’s favorite, evokes a yearning for a good time amidst life’s stresses.

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“I wrote a poem called How I’m Feeling Now because, in these times, it’s hard to be grateful.

Olamide – Rock

Bearing elements of Afropop and Highlife, “Rock” presumes the dawn of an era where Olamide ditches hardcore rap for a relatively mellow serenade.

“The song is saying my lady doesn’t have to do too much to impress me — I love you already,” Olamidé says.

Rema – Soundgasm

Following the Don Jazzy-produced “Bounce”, the Jae5-helmed “Dimension” and with his debut album in view, Rema wets thirst with a risqué ballad dubbed “Soundgasm”.

According to the singer, “Soundgasm is derived from the combination of two words which are ‘sound’ and ‘orgasm’.

Ibejii – Gonto

Hailed for its Afro-orchestral elements, “Gonto” seizes the casual insensitivity of a government and the eventual rebellion of a new generation as witnessed in the past year ranging from the Black Lives Matter movement in America to the protest against police brutality in Nigeria.

This record furthers the British/Nigerian artist’s affinity for lacing storytelling into relevant discourse plaguing the masses, outliers, or marginalized groups.

Joeboy – Show Me

Upon release of the singer’s debut album, “Show Me” didn’t enjoy enough rave-like critically acclaimed records such as Door until the influx of UGCs across short-form video platforms.

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Here, Joeboy, whose love language includes physical touch and words of affirmation, charges his lover to show all of it and more.

Johnny Drille – Bad Dancer

Again, this record shows the range in the sonic palette of Nigerian music which transcends Afrobeats.

Its melodies and lyricism evoke a hopeless romantic’s daydream. It doesn’t get better than Drille writing, producing, and engineering the record himself.

Ruger – Bounce

Following a lineup of releases such as Ruger and One Shirt featuring label mate, Rema, and boss D’Prince, Ruger strikes gold with “Bounce”, off his debut project dubbed “Pandemic”.

Since its release in March, like a slow burn, “Bounce” had hovered at Top 5 on the charts before clinching the #1 position in the last week of June, despite the buzz of giant records like “Feelings”, “Rock” etc.

Sarz & Lojay – Tonongo

Sarz, through a collaborative project that boasts of banging records like “Tonongo” and “Monalisa”, introduces Lojay to the fore.

The singer recounts his experience of an infatuation he’d developed for a stripper with now-popular lyrics like “you win the ass cheek Ballon d’Or”.

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