top naija artists 2019
There is barely one week left before the month of June is over. And in the spirit of reviewing Q1 and Q2, H1 And H2, we’ll try to go over top 10 songs Nigerian music acts have gifted us so far in 2019. Although it has been a very slow 6 months in Nigeria’s hit making scene, there have been a number of songs that have banged in clubs, streets, and barbershops around the country from January till now.
Teni the Entertainer ended 2018 on a high note. Her fan base grew exponentially and people loved her dearly from all over the country. Maybe it was because of the sentiment shared on her much loved hit-song, “Case”, maybe she just sang beautifully. In the beginning of this year she dropped “Uyo Meyo”, a song that caught on with most people not knowing what parts of the lyrics meant.
As superficial as the title is, featuring two big stars of the moment, David and Zlatan was all it needed. It was a widely played song and people dance to it in clubs and bars.
The song is affectatious for reasons I can hardly explain. Maybe it is the refrain of the word “balance” after every line. Perhaps it is the relaxing beat. Either way, we loved it.
There’s very little to be said about this. OluwaBurna sang about Africa’s richest man; everyone loved it. C’est Finit.
From the guy who brought us Zanku dance, came a song about Zanku dance. Nigerians sang along and learned to dance Zanku.
The young rapper showed up on us this year, has been signed by Don Jazzy, and is making waves all over the internet. No surprise why his love song, “Dumebi” became a sensation. Children sing it on the streets randomly.
Classic sings a love song over a beat with traditional Yoruba elements, utilizing a soft pop beat with a hyperbolic phrase reserved only for love songs – Nobody Fine Pass You”. Fans love a chant-worthy phrase and NPFY was it.
This song was became a rave all over the country shortly after it was released. Kizz Daniel put up a challenge online tagged as the #FvckYouChallenge, with so many artists weighing in on it and making their own covers of the song. Tiwa Savage, Sound Sultan, Victoria Kimani, Vector, MI, among others, weighed in on it.
Olamide’s newest protege gave dancehall lovers in the country what they didn’t know they wanted. It is still banging in club.
Burna Boy again. He has become relentless with the churning of every song since 2018. Killin Dem, bringing on Zlatan’s proficiency with the Zanku beat, is arguably one of the most successful hits of 2019 in the country so far.