It’s been such a great year, full of amazing playlists, engaging music, and remarkable body of works. We’re excited to provide this article, which highlights the best Nigerian album rollouts in 2023, now exploding on the local music scene and making waves in the international music industry.

This piece will offer succinct analyses of the best albums that are currently sweeping the Nigerian music scene and becoming global sensations thus far, guaranteeing an unparalleled musical experience. Prepare for a fantastic overview of Nigeria’s finest musical offerings.

Best Album Rollouts In 2023

Davido – Timeless

Davido released his eagerly awaited fourth studio album, “Timeless,” on March 31, 2023. This is a 17-track masterpiece with vocal collaborations with renowned musicians such as Asake, Angelique Kidjo, Musa Keys, Skepta, Fave, Focalistic, and more

Its inception was accompanied by sharp periods of sadness and pain, as with any success stories. After his son’s untimely death in 2022, Timeless was released after a period of intensely personal losses and a protracted absence from public view.

Throughout the project, Davido answered with an older man’s acceptance, emphasizing calm self-preservation over giddy euphoria and coming back with songs that are measured as they are certain of his victory over any oppositional forces that may arise.

In good faith, songs from this project have earned him his first Grammy nominations and many other great achievements!

Asake – Work of Art (Best Afrobeats Album In 2023)

With the exception of the acknowledged presence of Olamide on the Amapiano tune, Asake travels an enormous breadth of artistic expression, showcasing his extraordinary skill as he shines primarily in a solo capacity on his Work of Art album released in June.

He is unique in that he can create a sound that is beautifully composed of parts from the Indigenous Yoruba music tradition known as Fuji, as well as string orchestrations and choir arrangements. He really came into his own on the “Work of Art” studio album, which housed 14 tracks. With this, the singer has also bagged his first Grammy nomination and recently recorded one billion streams from the project, as well as other tremendous achievements.

Olamide – Unruly

Baddo Sneh came through with his 10th studio album, Unruly earlier in August –  marking the feat as the first Nigerian rapper to consecutively release an album for the past decade.

Unruly is a collection of 15 melodic emissaries that cover the spectrum of human emotion and experience. The symphony of notables that embellish this project’s auditory tapestry, includes the sonic masters CKay, BNXN, Rema and his label boys Asake, and  Fireboy DML.

The project resonates as a real testament to his unrelenting commitment and perseverance in his craft, establishing an enduring legacy as an example of brilliance within the current Nigerian music landscape. His status as a symbol of acclaimed greatness and a musical genius whose works are imprinted in the communal memory of his countrymen is exemplified by this seminal release.

Burna Boy – I Told Them

Before the inception of the project, the Odogwu had hinted at the release via concerts, tweets and many more, so much so, it became a force even before its arrival.

In August, Burna released his 7th studio album ‘I Told Them‘; a detailed narration of his personal journeys, telling the world his defined fusion sounds are about story-telling and not without ‘substance’.  The project communicates his innermost feelings; his perception, gaze, about his music world, its progress, and more importantly how he views his heritage.

From its achievements thus far, Burna masterfully bridges the realms of hip-hop and Afrobeats showcasing the best of both musical worlds. The album has garnered remarkable attention, with global music enthusiasts hailing it as one of the most captivating releases of 2023.  A few include the historic feat of debuting at the pinnacle of the UK albums chart, making it the very first African album to claim the coveted #1 spot, securing 4 Grammy nominations and a host of others.

Omah Lay – Boy Alone Deluxe Album

Omah Lay‘s Boy Alone body of work gained popularity over time. Although it was released in 2022, it didn’t exactly cause a stir when it first came out, but after several listens, it gained such a following that it is now one of the most popular albums on Boomplay. The degree to which Omah Lay adhered to the album’s topic of melancholy, loneliness, and depression that he experienced in life is unmatched. In fact, he freely admitted in a number of interviews that the project was inspired by a really dark time in his life and that music served as a release for him to convey his inner turmoil. In line with this, fans tagged his sound “Afro-depression” and was the inception of a need to release the deluxe version to continue the tales of his life.

His candid journey of finding hope at the end of the tunnel is obvious in the deluxe version of his record which was released in June, demonstrating once more this real and raw emotional connection.

Rema – Rave & Roses Ultra (Best Afrobeats Album In 2023)

Basking in the glory of the original body of work released in 2022, Rema announced the ultra version in grand style.  This deluxe album offered a trio of  “Charm,” “Hov,” and “Dunno Me.” It also featured the remix of his global hit “Calm Down,” in collaboration with Selena Gomez, as well as the two singles he unveiled in February, “Holiday” and “Reason You.”

Ruger – RU The World

In September, Ruger offloaded his debut studio album RU The World. The project compiles 17 tracks featuring heavyweights like Stefflon Don, Sauti Sol and others.

He discusses the complexities of his rise, goes into the world of his romantic relationships, and considers his place in the music business. Mid-tempo instrumentals with influences from numerous musical genres, such as Afropop, drill, Amapiano, and house, serve as the background music as all of this takes place. Recently, the singer celebrated 100 million streams off the album on Spotify, marking a tremendous step in his career.

Odumodublvck – EZIOKWU

For Odumodu, a number of successful singles, including “Blood On The Dance Floor” and “FireGun,” were released prior to the album’s release, “Eziokwu,” laying the groundwork for what seems like an incredible musical adventure. These songs had dominated the airways and had stirred anticipation amongst fans for the rapper’s album pre-release.

Of course, it arrived as promised, comprising 14 tracks and took the streaming platforms by storm; hitting no 1 on Spotify and Apple Music.

• RELATED: Nigerian Artistes Who Have Walked The Runway In Grand Style
• RELATED:  Top Nigerian Artistes With Over 100 Million+ Streamed Songs On Spotify
• RELATED: Top 10 Hottest Naija Collaborations In 2023 So Far

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Best Afrobeats Album Rollouts In 2023.

Nigerian music sensations Rema and Ckay are all set to grace the stage at the upcoming Hey Neighbor Music Festival in Pretoria in December 2023.

These two artists are just a part of the stellar lineup of musicians that will captivate festival-goers during this anticipated 3-day extravaganza, which promises to be a celebration of joy, unity, and great music.

Rema’s participation in the Hey Neighbor Music Festival will be the crowning achievement of a phenomenal year for the Mavin singer. In February, he delivered an electrifying performance at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.

Moreover, in September, Rema achieved a remarkable milestone as his collaboration with Selena Gomez, ‘Calm Down,’ became the first Afrobeats track to amass over a billion streams on Spotify, and it also secured its place on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking year.

To add to the accolades, the song recently claimed the inaugural Best Afrobeats Song award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.

Ckay has equally enjoyed an impressive year with his debut album ‘Sad Romance,’ receiving critical acclaim and achieving international success through hit singles like ‘Emiliana‘ and ‘Watawi.’

Attendees at the festival can eagerly anticipate the duo’s unique stage presence and the magnetic aura that has made them beloved figures in the hearts of Nigerian music enthusiasts. The event promises a seamless fusion of diverse cultures and a top-notch live music experience.

The Hey Neighbor Music Festival is scheduled to take place from the 8th to the 10th of December 2023.

It’s not just Rema and Ckay, as the festival boasts a star-studded lineup of global artists, including American heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar, The Chainsmokers, H.E.R., and Khalid, alongside South African rap sensations Nasty C and Focalistic, Kenyan musical group Sauti Sol, and many more. It’s undoubtedly going to be a musical extravaganza to remember.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Rema, Ckay to perform at Hey Neighbor music festival.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Ruger drops official track list for his Debut album ‘RU THE WORLD’.

Nigerian Afrobeat and dancehall artist Ruger, whose real name is Michael Adebayo Olayinka, has officially announced the release date and title of his highly anticipated debut album. The album, titled “RU THE WORLD,” is set to be released on Friday, September 1, 2023.

Ruger has gained significant recognition for his unique blend of Afrobeat, dancehall, and R&B influences. He initially garnered attention with his debut track “Ruger” and further solidified his presence in the music scene with the EP “Pandemic.”

“RU THE WORLD” will consist of 17 tracks, promising listeners a diverse and captivating musical journey. Ruger has also collaborated with notable artists such as Stefflon Don, Projexx, Sauti Sol, Govana, and Jugglerz, adding even more excitement to the upcoming album.

Fans and music enthusiasts can mark their calendars for September 1, 2023, as Ruger prepares to make a significant impact with his debut album.

Ruger will release his debut album “RU THE WORLD” this Friday, September 1. 🚨

The 17-track LP features Stefflon Don, Projexx, Sauti Sol, Govana & Jugglerz. pic.twitter.com/19PUjHZz9R

— WeTalkSound (WTS) (@wetalksound) August 28, 2023

RELATED:

• “This is pure nonsense” – Ruger raises the bar on stagecraft at a performance in Canada

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Ruger confirms release date of his forthcoming debut album.

Apple Music wrapped up 2022 in grand style by hosting its very first Africa Now event on the African continent in Accra, Ghana on 30 December.

This premium VIP event was attended by over 300 of the continent’s key tastemakers and industry executives, as well as some of the continent’s biggest artists including Tiwa Savage, Elaine, Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, TRESOR, Pheelz, Sauti Sol, King Promise, GuiltyBeatz and Jidenna.

Dadaboy Ehiz (Africa Now Radio host) and Dotty (Apple Music 1 host and Lead Cultural Curator, Black Music, UK) were also in Accra to celebrate.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Apple Music hosts its first Africa Now event in Ghana.

Nigerian rapper Emeka Akumefule, known professionally as Blaqbonez, has set his fans’ minds in a high mood as he releases the tracklist for his forthcoming album.

Even more exciting times are ahead for Nigerian music, Blaqbonez is set to join the party by releasing the tracklist for his upcoming album.

Fans are waiting with bated breath for the rapper’s fourth studio album, Behold The Lamb, to be released in the first week of July.

RELATED:

• Blaqbonez shares his respect for Victony’s ability to triumph in spite of his accident
• Blaqbonez reveals some shocking revelations about Asake.
• Blaqbonez makes an unusual request to his female fans.

On the 28th of June, the rapper, who had been teasing the release of his album via his social media page, announced the release date, album title, and tracklist via the same app, saying:

“BEHOLD THE LAMB” Album out on Boomplay – 4th July all other Platforms – 6th July.”

Blaqbonez’s “Behold The Lamb”, a ten-track album featuring Oxlade, Sauti Sol, PsychoYP, Khaligraph Jones, Kojo Cue, and Chike, will be released on all platforms on July 6th.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emeka The Stallion ???? (@blaqbonez)

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Blaqbonez unveils the tracklist for his forthcoming album.

When it comes to delivering flawlessly on collaborations, Patoranking is one of the Nigerian performers to call.

Since 2009, when he released his first single, ‘So Nice,’ Patoranking has been releasing his own brand of reggae-dancehall infused Afrobeats.

He has subsequently released a plethora of songs, as well as his debut album, ‘God Over Everything,’ in 2016, and has established himself as one of Nigeria’s leading performers.

He began his career in music with underground collaborations and has since worked with a wide range of artists.

RELATED:

• Top 10 Patoranking songs with Most viewed music videos
• Patoranking has broadened the continental horizon with dancehall

Here are some of the best tracks that Patoranking has appeared on.

Melanin- Sauti Sol

A song celebrating the beauty of the Black woman is definitely where you will see Patoranking deliver flawlessly.

Sauti Sol’s original afro-pop is masterfully mixed with R&B and Patoranking’s dancehall magic in this track, giving you the best of both worlds.

Sauti Sol and Patoranking join forces in MELANIN to create a stunning collaboration with a strong message: appreciating women of colour. The two have been friends for many years and have watched each other grow into continental greats.

In My Head- Larry Gaaga

Larry Gaaga has the ability to find the right artist to fit a beat and deliver a magical record. “In My Head” is a testament to that fact. Patoranking smoothly and brilliantly carries the song delivering a spiritual record that will touch and lift one’s spirit.

Wait- Solid Star ft Tiwa Savage

If the original was beautiful, the refix was another dimension. Patoranking and Tiwa Savage brought chemistry and spice to the song making it taste like a delicious stew that was combined with steaming rice and well-fried plantain.

Is it because I love You- Lil Kesh

This was a huge song when it came in 2015. Produced by Pheelz, the song sees Lil Kesh bring his usual street attitude to the beat and Patoranking switch between his Dancehall persona and street act one didn’t know existed.

Na Wash- Becca

This is a hilarious song that had listeners chuckling as they listen. The song explores the tricks people display just to get what they want from a relationship.

Shabba- DJ Xclusive ft Kcee

With a homage to dancehall great Shabba Ranks, this DJ Xclusive tune was made for the clubs and dancing. Kcee was exceptionally talented on this tune but Patoranking really brought the dancehall spic to it.

Left For Good- Waje

Waje, one of Nigeria’s most powerful vocals with a three-octave range, engaged Patoranking for a feature on her soul-meets-reggae track ‘Left For Good.’

Early MoMo- DJ Hazan

If you didn’t hear the song in 2014, it means you missed out on one of the year’s greatest hits. Patoranking was a lyrical beast on this one.

RELATED:

• Patoranking’s “Three” most commercially released album?
• Top Nigeria-Jamaica music Collaborations that are hits

Fire To Sun- Bera

Life was good when this song dropped in 2018. Bera Ivanishvili, known by his stage name Bera, is a French-born Georgian singer, songwriter, international pop star, hip hop and R&B artist.

He and Patoranking became good friends which show in their collaboration on “Fire to the Sun“. Bera would later go on to feature on Patoranking’s “Wilmer” and “Heal The World”.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Top Collaborations Patoranking delivered smoothly..

The couple and other celebrity guests will be live at the St. Valentine’s Day edition.

Nigeria’s top star couple, Olubankole Wellington aka Banky W and Adesua Etomi Wellington, will perform live at the St. Valentine’s Day edition.

This is Nigeria’s first scripted concert, Buckwyld ‘n’ Breathless, entitled #TheBAADExperience.

The event will take place on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at the magnificent Landmark Event Centre in Oniru, with the red carpet opening promptly at 7 p.m.

The couple has taken to social media to whet the appetite of their fans about the event with a teaser video ad captioned,

“Got any plans for Valentine’s? Join us for date night on February 13th, 2022”.

See the post below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Banky Wellington (@bankywellington)

The event promises to be an enjoyable experience filled with a variety of music combined with theatrical acts, romance, and drama. Fans on social media have expressed their excitement for the event.

• RELATED: Nigerian artists whose parents served in the military
• RELATED: Top 10 Nigerian musicians that do not womanize

Buckwyld ‘n’ Breathless is an event property of Buckwyld Media and is the nation’s most consistent fully scripted production that features deft use of props, elaborate costume, audio-visual content, special effects and a large support cast to deliver an exhilarating concert experience.

The concert has been headlined by some of the biggest stars in the music industry like 2Baba, Tiwa Savage, Flavour, Falz, and MI as well as Sauti Sol in Nairobi (2016).

Other heavyweights who have graced the BnB stage include Late Sound Sultan, Timi Dakolo, Waje, Rudeboy, Timaya, Efya, Cobhams, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Elajoe, Kelly Hansome, 9ice, Faze, Nosa, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince amongst others.

This year’s event is organised by Buckwyld Media in partnership with EME and BAAD Productions.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Banky W & Adesua set to delight lovers at Buckwyld ‘n’ Breathless event.

Believe it or not, Burna Boy triumph won at the 63rd ceremony of the Grammy Awards, with his album Twice as Tall on the Best Global Music Album opened door to other Nigerian artistes and help introduce new listeners to Afrobeat.

However, it is his first GRAMMY win in his career, Burna Boy was the first winner of the newly renamed Best World category, which was previously known as Best World.

Also, many people associate Afrobeat with the audacious, flaming, talented multi-instrumentalist and founder of the genre, Fela Kuti.

The Grammy Award is a household name in the United States, It was made to honour American music, not to please the entire globe.

While the category of ‘Best World Music Album’ may be exclusive and make the Grammys appear snobbish, it has also served a purpose that centres on the global music community.

African performers are dissatisfied with the elitism of the Grammy Awards.

The argument for altering the name of the award to “Best World Music Album” is that the word “world” implies that America is not only apart from the rest of the world, but also superior to it.

Burna Boy signed with Bad Habit/Atlantic Records, where it all started in 2017, on this notation, we’ll highlight the records that edge him towards the threshold of the biggest afrobeat artiste of this generation.

Burna Boy released his fourth studio album titled African Giant on July 26, 2019, by Atlantic Records, Warner Music and Spaceship Entertainment.

The album features guest appearances from Damian Marley, Jeremih, Jorja Smith, Future, Zlatan Ibile, and others.

The 19-tracks project was championed by 8 singles, including ‘On the Low’, Killing Dem, and ‘Gbona’ amongst others, he performed “Anybody‘ at Jimmy Kimmel Live! an American late-night talk show.

One year later, he released his fifth studio album titled ‘Twice as Tall‘, a combination of Afrobeats, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop and hip hop, which enlisted guest appearances from Youssou N’Dour, Naughty by Nature, Sauti Sol, Stormzy and Chris Martin.

Executive produced by an American singer and songwriter Diddy and  Bose Ogulu (Mama Burna) 

Burna Boy earned another Grammy nomination with twice as tall making him the first Nigerian with back-to-back nominations at the Grammys.

Burna Boy who is the first Nigerian artiste to earn back to back Grammy nominations will also be the first-ever afrobeat act in history to perform at the event.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on How Burna Boy’s Grammy win opened door for other Nigerian artistes.

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, bagged three awards at yesterday’s AFRIMMA awards.

Afrobeats poster-boy Wizkid was once again one of the highlights of the night as he clinched three awards, which included “Artiste of the Year“, “Song of the Year”, and the category of “Crossing Boundaries With Music”, making him the biggest winner of the night.

This achievement comes after Starboy Entertainment’s CEO and frontman recently won Apple Music’s African Best Act of the Year 2021 award.

See the award below:

• RELATED: Wizkid, Davido, Mercy Chinwo, others win at the AFRIMMA 2021
• RELATED: Wizkid reveals it took him three years to work on “Made In Lagos”

The award saw artists such as Adekunle Gold win Best Male Artiste for West Africa while his wife and industry colleague, Simi, got the award for Best Female Artiste for West Africa.

Sauti Sol won the “Best African Group” category, Mercy Chinwo won the “Best Gospel“.

Nigerian teenage sensation P.Prime won the “Music Producer of the Year” category, Focalistic & Davido won the “Best Collaboration“.

Ruger won the “Best Newcomer” category, and there were other interesting wins for the night.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Wizkid wins three awards at 2021 AFRIMMA.

Willis Chimano is one of the four members of Sauti Sol which is one of Africa’s most popular male bands, and has won the MTV Africa Music Awards in 2016.

Chimano’s coming out as gay has been hailed as a victory for the LGBT community.

In Kenya, gay intercourse is criminal by up to 14 years in jail; in 2019, a challenge to the law was dismissed.

Prosecutors rarely use this rule, and attitudes toward LGBT individuals are more liberal than in neighbouring countries like Uganda and Tanzania.

• RELATED: Sauti Sol: The Biggest Kenyan Music Band Export
• RELATED: The Greatest 10 Kenyan Artists in 2021 and their Hit Songs.

Despite the fact that there have been few reports of homophobic violence in Kenya, many LGBT people live in secret societies and are sometimes rejected by their relatives in this very religious country.

“It is the first time I am expressing myself in a song. You really get to know who Chimano is and that is a heavy crown to carry. It is just a representation of the underground ballroom culture within the queer community… which I am part of,” he is quoted as saying.

In 2019, a Kenyan High Court ruled against activists seeking to abolish a law prohibiting homosexual sex.

Campaigners wanted the colonial-era law repealed, claiming that it fostered homophobia.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on Willis Chimano of Sauti Sol comes out as gay.

About the album

It has a good flow from the King, and he has never disappointed his fans. When he is behind the mic, we all know we got to dance as he is dropping his poems effortlessly which is different from other artists who spend most of their lyrics praising their girlfriend’s body parts, their properties, and showing their lovemaking skills but in Ali Kiba’s album, all 16 of his songs are made for people of all ages, he cared about ethics and quality of contents in his writing.

The album was released on the 7th of October 2021, without any promo or publicity stunt and in a short time it was the talk of the town, and everyone was expectant on what will happen next but his listening party was a beautiful evening event at Serena Hotel that he did with few of his musicians’ friends including Patoranking from Nigeria.

Song collaborations in the album

Only One King has 16 songs. 10 of which he has featured artists from Tanzania and out of Tanzania like Sarkodie from Ghana, Patoranking, Mayorkun and Rudeboy from Nigeria, Khaligraph Jones, Nyanshiski and Sauti Sol from Kenya.

From Tanzania, he collaborated with Tommy Flavor and Kings Music. If you look at the names featured, you will be able to guess the quality of the songs that are in this album.

Speaking of Patoranking, in ‘Bwana Mdogo‘, he has left a conversation in Tanzania, where others say he has murdered the song more than Ali Kiba and others say they both bought quality to the song.

Rudeboy, a guy with songs like ‘Chizoba‘ and ‘Reason with Me’, understood the assignment in Salute and their video was the talk of the town as they wore military attire.

Sarkodie, a rapper who has no mercy on beats, delivered his verses on ‘Happy‘.

Nyanshiski from 254, is one of those artists who has no problem with single ng better than the owner of the song when he is featured, and that’s what he did in the song.

Songs that are in the album

This time Ali Kiba decided to enter the studio himself, and one of his songs ‘Utu’ has been making waves and it is even trending on TikTok and it has even been a song that lovers dedicate to each other.

Other songs in the album are Gime Dat, Oya Oya, Amour, Sitaki tena, and Infidele.

The producer, Yogo Beats got so much promo out of this album because most of the songs in the album were produced by him.

Amazing beats and good mixing in every song in the ‘Only One King Album’ has given the album unlimited streams and views on YouTube and different platforms. Imagine just one day after its release the album was streamed more than 1 Million times on Spotify. Hail to the King Kiba.

This post appeared first on Mp3bullet.ng... Read Original post on AliKiba: Only One King in the Bongo Flava industry [Album Review].