By Charles Didee Eta
Lately, Nigerian music seems to be taking over the world and breaking records. They have made the world sit up, and there is no playlist complete without one of our artists. In trying to narrow down the names currently topping the charts, we spoke to a few people and did a social media survey, and the following names kept popping up. Who are you currently listening to?
- Victony
Anthony Ebuka Victor, aka Victony, is one of the fast-rising talents to come out of the Nigerian music scene for his uniqueness and style. He caught our attention with popular releases like “Broken” and “Sing my song”. Eventually, getting signed by the MainlandBlockParty and Jungle record label made it possible for him to release his debut extended play (EP), Saturn, in 2020. This helped him instantaneously generate a massive following in such little time, as well as a collaboration with award-winning grammy artist “Burna Boy”.
2)Asake
Asake is a Nigerian singer and songwriter of Yorùbá heritage who specializes mainly in Afrobeats. His name is Ahmed Ololade, and he is currently signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. From the very inception, Asake proved to be an undeniable force to reckon with, as he made instant limelight with his first single, “Mr Money,” from his debut album “Mr money with the vibes”. Following up was his recent viral project titled “Ololade Asake”, which happens to reposition him as one of the most promising Nigerian music industry artists.
3)Ayra Starr
Ayra Starr is the current first lady of Marvin Records and an overall enigma. She was born Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe and has earned her place among the vanguard of rising Nigerian pop stars. The release of her self-titled EP brought about her initial exposure, which introduced her to record label owner “Don Jazzy”. Shortly after, she dominated the world with her much-anticipated debut album “19 and Dangerous”. Ayra is very much respected for her work ethic, piercingly attractive vocals, boldness and unapologetic approach to life.
4)Oxlade
Oxlade isn’t exactly a new name in the Nigerian music industry; he has been popping on the charts since 2016 when he released his first project in collaboration with Everdom. His performance in the Oxygen EP and follow-up project titled “Eclipse EP” totally succeeded in skyrocketing this artist to the stars. Also known as Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman, Oxlade has proven to be a Nigerian singer and songwriter who’s fully aware of his onions. This right here is why he got signed to Troniq Music, Epic Records in France, and Fuenlabrada Records in the UK, all at the same time.
5)Chike
His full name is Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka, and he is known for his exceptional vocals and impressive songwriting skills. Chike has built a huge reputation for himself since the release of his first song, “Fancy U”, right after he participated in the singing competitions- Project Fame and The Voice Nigeria. He made it as a runner-up and got signed to the Universal Republic along with the top four contestants on the show. The success of his albums “Boo of The Booless” and ” The Brother’s Keeper” has left us with hit tracks like “If You No Love Me”, On the moon, Beautiful People, Spell, Roju and Running”.