This is a list of the collaborations that started out as “WTF?” but after listening, changed to “Yasss.” 

Showmetheway 鈥� Cruel Santino and Poco Lee

A collaboration between alt茅 king, Cruel Santino, and hype man, Poco Lee, wasn’t on my bingo card for 2023, but here we are today. Even though , listening to the full version with its unexpected feature is a whole other experience. Poco Lee’s appearance is a blink-and-you-鈥檒l-miss-it moment, but it further amplifies the synthy-owambe fuji music vibe of the song. 

Stand Strong 鈥� Davido and The Sunday Service Choir 

It’s easy to imagine Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir providing backup to some inspirational song by Cobhams, Asa or Darey Art Alade that’ll get you teary-eyed. But a song with David Adeleke, Nigeria’s very own Shakespeare? No one saw that coming.

Surprisingly, Stand Strong stands out, pun very much intended here, as one of Davido’s best songs to date. Over ten years into his career, the song is a testament to Davido’s growth from Back When to international choirmaster.

All I Ever Wanted 鈥� Asa and Amaarae 

2022 came with many surprises, but listening to Asa and Amaarae vibe on lyrics about hotel sex, eating coochie and five-star diamond dick was lowkey one of the year’s biggest surprises. Having the artiste who made alt茅 music way before it was called alt茅 on a track with one of the sound’s new leading voices was the gift we didn’t know we needed until we got it. 

Every time Burna Boy collaborated with white people 

From rock bands like The Fallout Boys (Sunshine Riptide) and Coldplay (Monsters You Made) to British icons Lily Allen (Heaven’s Gate), Sam Smith (My Oasis) and Ed Sheeran (For My Hand), Burna Boy has built a reputation for the most unhinged international collaborations.

If you think an artiste’s sound won’t work well with Burna’s, that’s the artiste he鈥檒l carry on his head. The best part is his coloniser collabs always slap.听

Coming 鈥� Naira Marley and Busiswa 

Naira Marley and Busiswa’s Coming is everyone’s guilty pleasure. Granted, we can’t play it in our Nigerian homes (or you鈥檒l have to explain doggy style to your parents).

Still, it’s two artistes who lead two very different movements. Naira Marley rules street pop, and Busiswa is the South African queen of house music. Now, we just need someone to erase this Tiny Desk version from the internet and our minds:聽

Crown of Clay 鈥� M.I and Vector 

What if 2Pac and Biggie Smalls squashed their beef and released a song together after years of dragging each other like small gen? That’s what Vector and M.I did when they hooked up with Pheelz for the song, Crown of Clay.

This 2021 collaboration was so unexpected because I can’t imagine working with someone who called me Judas, The Rat. M.I is a much better person than most because the beef would’ve turned to shaki by now. Nice song, though.听

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Beautiful Onyinye 鈥� P-Square and Rick Ross 

P-Square and Rick Ross’ Beautiful Onyinye remix is hands down one of the most random international collaborations ever. Then again, the song came out when Nigerians were willing to take any international collaborations that came their way. Remember Wizkid’s remix of Don’t Dull with Akon? P-Square threw in a random rapper on an audience fave, and now, we can’t listen to the original because the remix is somehow better. 

Sweet in the Middle 鈥� Wurld, Zlatan and Naira Marley 

Only Davido could think of adding Wurld on a Zlatan and Naira Marley feature. After dropping R&B and alt茅-inspired songs like Show You Off and Contagious, Wurld laying vocals alongside two of the biggest names in street pop sounded weird, but Sweet in the Middle became a major bop. Each featured act killed their parts, with Davido’s adlibs tying it together. 

Calm Down 鈥� Rema and Selena Gomez

Before anyone drags me, I’ll drag myself by admitting I didn’t like this Rema and Selena Gomez remix when it first dropped. But you know what? My opinion has changed. 

Although the remix doesn’t even come close to the magic Rema captured on its original, it’s hard not to like it 鈥� especially after hearing it 100 times a day thanks to the radio, TV and social media. 

High 鈥� Adekunle Gold and Davido 

Adekunle Gold’s transition from sweet Orente baby boy to Afropop Zaddy reached an all-time high in 2021 when he dropped High alongside Davido.

While an Adekunle and Wizkid collaboration might’ve sounded very on-brand, something about collaborating with Davido felt off. But that’s exactly what Adekunle needed to complete his transition. High was so good it ended up on our 2021 list of best Amapiano songs.听

ALSO READ: 5 International Afropop Collaborations that Were Totally Meant to Be

In 2021, Wizkid, Tems, Made and Femi Kuti made it on the Grammy Awards nomination list. This year, with Burna Boy鈥檚 Love, Damini  getting two Grammy nominations, and Tems getting two nominations for Wait For You, her collaboration with Drake and Future, it looks like Nigeria will be well represented again. 

But outside of these artists who鈥檝e already signed attendance with the Grammys before, here are 10 artists and projects we would鈥檝e loved to hear when the nominations were announced. 

Some Nights I Dream of Doors 鈥� Obongjayar 

Obongjayar鈥檚 music is as raw as it gets. Whether he鈥檚 urging you to keep hustling on songs like Try and Sugar or reminding you that you deserve better on Tinko Tinko (Don鈥檛 Play Me for a Fool), Obongjayar maintains an intense level of honesty and emotion that鈥檚 hard to find these days. 

There鈥檚 so much drama in this man鈥檚 voice, and even the album title is dramatic AF. What is Some Nights I Dream of Doors? But the best part is all the drama pays off beautifully when you listen to his music. 

Boy Alone 鈥� Omah Lay 

No one is doing this 鈥渟ad boy music鈥� thing like Omah Lay. After blowing up at the height of the pandemic in 2020, Omah Lay cemented his position as one of the most exciting Nigerian artists right now with the release of Boy Alone, his debut EP. Letting his emotions take centre stage, the album has given us hits like Soso, Woman, Bend You, and the song anyone suffering from imposter syndrome can relate to, I鈥檓 a Mess. 

V 鈥� Asa

If there鈥檚 one Nigerian artist who seemed set for a Grammy win from the moment they stepped on the scene, it鈥檚 Asa. Her debut self-titled album was, and still is, a masterpiece, covering heartbreak, politics and existential thoughts. But it did nothing to prepare us for V, her fifth studio album released this year. 

With V, Asa has moved her music to the dance floor. Singing about friendships, love and red wine, this album proves Asa can make any type of music, and it鈥檒l still slap. 

Catch Me If You Can 鈥� Adekunle Gold 

Adekunle Gold鈥檚 rebrand from calm lover boy to in-your-face fashion icon/ DILF still makes my head spin. With 2020鈥檚 Afropop Vol.1, Adekunle introduced a fun, more pop-focused side of his music and personality. Bringing that energy into his 2022 album, Catch Me If You Can, Adekunle pulls out all the stops, featuring Davido, Lucky Daye and Ty Dolla $ign. Maybe I鈥檓 high, but it looks like AG Baby is here to stay. 

Mr Money With the Vibe 鈥� Asake 

2022 is the year of Asake; he hasn鈥檛 let us breathe. Every week, it鈥檚 one snippet followed by a single or collaboration until he dropped his debut album, Mr Money With the Vibe, in September [2022]. 

Although the album suffers from sounding repetitive, Asake manages to make each song as infectious as the one before it. While it looks like Asake is slowing things down, it doesn鈥檛 mean Mr Money With the Vibe doesn鈥檛 deserve Grammy love. 

RECOMMENDED: Asake is the Fashion Icon the World Needs Right Now

19 & Dangerous (Deluxe) 鈥� Ayra Starr 

Ayra Starr is that girl, and she knows it. Despite taking 2021 by storm with her self-titled EP, her smash hit, Bloody Samaritan, and her debut album, 19 & Dangerous, Ayra has shown no signs of slowing down. As a matter of fact, the hits dey rush.

Releasing the deluxe version of 19 & Dangerous with new songs and remixes, Ayra has thrown her hat into the ring. While her album may not be eligible, songs like Rush and the Bloody Samaritan remix with Kelly Rowland still make the cut.听

Palmwine Music 3 鈥� Show Dem Camp 

Five years after tapping into their Feel Alright palm wine vibe to drop the first installation of what we鈥檝e come to know as the Palmwine Music series, Show Dem Camp has closed out this chapter of their career with Palmwine Music 3.

Bringing in past collaborators like BOJ, Moelogo, Tems and Ladipoe, while creating space for new acts like Oxlade, Tay Iwar and Victony, Show Dem Camp successfully delivered one of the best albums of the year. 滨迟鈥檚 sweet, sour and relaxing, just like the drink it鈥檚 named after.听

Rave & Roses 鈥� Rema 

滨迟鈥檚 Rema鈥檚 world right now, and the rest of us are just paying rent and agency fees. Three years after capturing our attention with the party starter, Dumebi, Rema officially kicked off 2022 with his debut album, Rave and Roses. While songs like Dirty, Time N Affection and Calm Down remind us Rema is a budding sex icon, his music really hits when he sheds off that gragra to give us songs like Addicted, Divine and Are You There? 

Sad Romance 鈥� CKay

Capitalising on the international exposure he got after Love Nwantiti became TikTok鈥檚 official anthem in 2021, CKay dropped his debut album in 2022, and it didn鈥檛 disappoint. 滨迟鈥檚 interesting CKay named it Sad Romance when almost every song on it sounds like music that鈥檒l get you pregnant.

Swimming in sensual R&B production and CKay鈥檚 bedroom voice, Sad Romance was a major standout of the year and deserves some recognition.听

ALSO READ: Do Nigeria鈥檚 Biggest Artists Really Need the Grammys?

Tempoe was allegedly in the studio and part of the team that created two songs off Asa’s V album, but like those shady friends on IG, she allegedly didn’t give him credit for his work. Meanwhile, Asa also claims she was part of the team that created the beat for Joeboy’s Contour, and even though she ended up not using the beat, she’s suing Joeboy for 鈧�300 Million.听

Because of these cases, Asa’s IDG with Wizkid and Love Me or Give Me Red Wine have been removed from the interwebs and streaming platforms. How did we get here, and what’s all this big big legal jargon they’ve been speaking?聽

Let me explain. 

What does copyright mean? 

Breaking it down in the simplest way possible, copyright can be described as the rights given to creatives, which means they have full legal ownership and control over their music, literary work or any type of creative work. Basically, if I record a song called 91大神 Babe today and copyright the song, it’s officially mine, and nobody else can profit off of it.听

Wait, Nigeria has copyright laws? 

If anyone was wondering, yes, the Nigerian constitution supports the copyright law above. You can confirm by looking at The Copyright Act (as amended), Cap C28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. 

So if anyone messes with your creative property, don’t be afraid to use the famous “see you in court” line. But how do you even know when your copyright is being taken fi eediat? 

How can someone infringe on your copyright?

Copyright infringement happens when someone uses your work without your permission or presents a close imitation of your work as their own. This has to be public, so people streaming your song aren’t infringing on your copyright 鈥� you’re also getting paid. But another artist releasing or performing a song that’s a clear rip-off of yours is a major copyright infringement. Note the difference.听

What is this court injunction Asa and her people are pursuing? 

Just like Tempoe got a court injunction against Asa, the Jailer singer is also seeking a court injunction against Joeboy. A court injunction is an order by law to either refrain from or actually do something. In Tempoe’s case, Asa was given an injunction and had to take IDG and Love Me or Give Me Red Wine off every streaming app. Now Asa is out to get Joeboy’s Contour off streaming too.

RECOMMENDED: We Listened and These Are the Biggest Songs of 2022 So Far

Here’s all you need to win a copyright case in court

You can’t just go to court and whyne the judge into accepting that a creative work is yours. You need to have: 

1. Direct evidence to support your claim, such as eyewitnesses
2. Concrete evidence that you’re the owner of what you’re fighting for
3. Proof that the person you’re accusing had access to hear your song because they can’t steal what they haven’t heard
4. Clear evidence that their work is similar to yours

Can I carry my copyright to the grave? 

According to the Nigerian laws, copyrights expire 70 years after the owner of the work dies. If you live forever, then your copyright is set for life. So my advice? Avoid death by all means. If not, the clock to expiry will start ticking. 

Asa, Tempoe and Joeboy’s case is not the first time

The spicy drama surrounding Asa, Tempoe and Joeboy may sound like news to people. Still, a trip down memory lane will show that this musician-on-producer or musician legal wahala is nothing new. 

In 2018 alone, Tiwa Savage, 2Baba and Tekno were all accused of infringing on the copyrights of other artists. Danny Young accused Tiwa of stealing One from his 2009 song, Oju Tiwon and of stealing his Peruzzi-assisted hit, Amaka from an up and coming artist, Yoko B. Meanwhile, over a sample of their song Kpolongo featured in his song Jogodo (it’s the title similarity for me).

for about $13,000. 

What do cases like Asa鈥檚 mean for the industry? 

One thing that has always plagued the Nigerian music scene is a lack of structure 鈥� and by structure, I don’t mean the mansions artists unveil on Instagram every day. For the longest time, people’s creative works have been stolen (intentionally and unintentionally) and passed off as the work of others because of a lack of copyright knowledge. But things are changing. 

With musicians now choosing violence and dragging their peers in public, the industry is set to change with a lot more focus on copyrights. If you want to copy a video style, reach out to the owner; If it’s a sample, reach out to the team behind it. No matter what, just who deserves to be acknowledged.

Prevention is better than settlements. 

ALSO READ: We Ranked Asa鈥檚 鈥楢sha鈥� Songs

Let’s see how you do:

Asa is back. Nearly three years after her last album, Lucid, our queen of Afro-folk, soul, and everything nice is back with a new album, V, signaling a major departure from the sound she introduced us to over a decade ago with Asha. For Love It/Hate It, we asked Nigerians what they think about the new album, and this is what they had to say. 

Laolu – 鈥淎sa making pangolo music? Inject it!鈥�

If you ever wondered what pangolo music by Asa would sound like, the answer is tasteful AF! IDG is definitely the main character on that project. So many details in the background of that song, and P.Prime the producer is insane! Deadass music for a Saturday morning with your lover. 

Faridah – 鈥淚f I don鈥檛 sing Morning Man and Show Me Off for a man before July, I might actually die.鈥� 

Asa, sis, is it a crime to be single? This babe used to make songs for us single and sad bitches and now she鈥檚 telling us to go out there and get booed up. What a betrayal? But what my queen says, I will do. This album is perfect from top to bottom. Asa, your shop will not burn IJN (Amen). Please, excuse me while I answer all the DMS I鈥檝e been airing. Asa said it鈥檚 cuffing season. 

Temilade -鈥淎sa and Amaarae can break my back anytime, any day.鈥�

Who is this Asa? What? All I Ever Wanted with Amaarae is a madness and it鈥檚 especially good because, on paper, you don鈥檛 see it happening. We already know Amaraare is a bad bitch, but hearing Asa singing about wanting to break backs, omo, I didn鈥檛 know how much I wanted to be dominated until now. I鈥檓 rinsing the hell out of this album. 

Chuma -鈥淚鈥檓 afraid to say it on the TL, but I want my old Asa back.鈥� 

I love that my fave is experimenting, but I can鈥檛 be the only one who wants her to just stick to what she鈥檚 been doing for the longest 鈥� and very well if I might add. In a time where everyone is making the same shit, it felt good to know we had someone who would be a constant for us, musically. You don鈥檛 see Adele collaborating with Lil something on TikTok, do you? 

Seye -鈥淣o skips. I repeat, no skips.鈥� 

I love everything about this album. There are literally no skips. I love that it has the makings of a classic Asa album we鈥檒l play years from now, but also infused with some of the Afrobeats we鈥檙e used to. Also, the collaborations couldn鈥檛 be more perfect. 10/10.

Dika -鈥淐an鈥檛 wait to see Nigerian aunties’ reactions to All I Ever Wanted with Amaraae.鈥� 

I love V. Good Times with The Cavemen. is my favourite song off the album. I also think she came out of her shell with these songs and took risks. Like the song with Amaarae, All I Ever Wanted? I think our aunties are going to love the album until they get to that song. 

Sharon -鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 measure up to the Asa I know.鈥� 

Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I love this album. My only fear is how it鈥檒l stand years from now. Are we going to fuck with it the same way we do Asha, Beautiful Imperfection or Bed of Stone? I doubt that. I love that she鈥檚 experimenting, but this is a major shift. Let鈥檚 see sha.听

KC -鈥淎 Wizkid song without ‘She tell me say’, mad oh.鈥�

The way Asa got Wizkid to sing and not add, 鈥淪he tell me say鈥� is something that should be studied in universities when ASUU resumes. IDG is a jam. All the collabs and solo songs slap real hard. We鈥檙e eating good this year, thanks to Asa. 

1. Yes, that background voice you鈥檙e hearing belongs to Wurld

滨迟鈥檚 not every day you get to have one of Nigeria鈥檚 biggest artist providing backup vocals on a song, but when you鈥檙e Asa, anything is possible. If the background vocals on Ocean sound familiar to you, it鈥檚 probably because you鈥檝e heard them before on songs like Show You Off, Ego and Mad 鈥� say hello to Wurld. Apart from lending his vocals to Ocean, Wurld is also credited as a co-writer. Love to see it. 

2. Ocean was produced by the same guy that made Ozumba Mbadiwe, Gelato, Infinity, Anoti and Mayana

Asa, Reekado Banks, Cuppy, Olamide and Wizkid all have one thing in common: producer and hitmaker, P.PRIME. From Olamide鈥檚 Infinity to Wizkid鈥檚 Anoti and Reekado Banks鈥� banger, Ozumba Mbadiwe, P.PRIME is the producer we should be thanking for most of the hits we鈥檝e been jamming to lately. While a collaboration between Asa and the producer behind these club-heavy songs sounds a little bit off on paper, listening to Ocean and her single from last year, , shows the incredible range of both musicians involved. We stan a versatile queen and that鈥檚 on purrrr.听

3. Ocean is the second single off her upcoming album, V 

Ocean follows Mayana, which dropped last year, and it happens to be the second single off Asa鈥檚 upcoming V album 鈥� Asa鈥檚 first album in three years, and the first time she has recorded an album in Lagos. Remember all the pandemic Instagram videos? Yes, Miss. Asa went into full album recording mode as early as the 2020 covid lockdown. Can we wait for this album to drop? No. But do we have a choice? Also, no.听

4. This album will probably have features 

How many Asa features do you know? So far, our queen has about six Nigerian collaborations to her name: Comforter Song with Jeremiah Gyang, Share My Blessings with Naeto C, Inside You with Darey Art Alade, Pete Pete with 9ice and Somebody Great with Korede Bello. While she hasn鈥檛 had collaborations on any of her albums so far, V may just be the album that changes all of that with massive collaborations in the works. We鈥檒l leave you to guess the artistes, but when it drops, remember we told you it was coming. 

5. A whole new Asa and we’re loving it

If Mayana and Ocean are any indications of the direction of this album, then omo, we鈥檙e in for a whole new Asa. 滨迟鈥檚 the musical evolution for us.听

After keeping us waiting for six whole years, the queen of heartbreak finally dropped her 4th album, 30. Despite having eleven tracks that are sure to have you crying hot tears, we do realise that for some of you Nkiru Sylvanuses, that won鈥檛 be enough. Here are 6 dramatic Nigerian break-up songs for a total heartbreak experience. 

Once upon a time, these guys were the hottest thing on the music scene 鈥� even hotter than party jollof rice. Why? Well, they gave us hits like this classic about catching your girl red-handed with your best friend. Ouch! 

This guy literally said, 鈥淚f I die now I go happy say, say when I dey this world I don fall in love鈥�. Really? All you came to do in this world is give someone your mumu button? Interesting. 

This song is for heartbreak that went to Harvard. You can鈥檛 play this because your crush aired you. Instead, we鈥檒l advise you to save it for when he leaves you at the altar. 

Another mature heartbreak song, Darey was in his peak heartbreak bag when he made this song. Complete with a suit and over-the-top piano, he sings about his girl switching up on him. 滨迟鈥檚 sad, but lowkey hilarious because isn鈥檛 change the only thing that鈥檚 constant about life? 

My favourite part of this song  was the choir assisting Ric Hassani cussing out his ex. That ladies and gentlemen, is what we like to call DEDICATION to being petty. 

We saved this for last because you can only play this song when you鈥檙e ready to move on. Once you play this, there are no tears left to cry. One day, Kiss Daniel will explain the breakfast he ate that motivated him to drag someone for filth like this. 

Kindly seek spiritual help if all these songs don’t get you through your heartbreak.

Kizz Daniel made it into one of our #BumpThis playlists which drops every Friday. Subscribe to our聽聽for premium bum bum shaking, evening-wine-sipping songs.

1. If I Die Young by The Band Perry

We know that you have grown old and you don’t fear anything again. But your parents still have a lot of fears. So if you love yourself, please don’t ever sing this song at home. Why? The lyrics speak for themselves:

If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

—

2. Jailer by Asa

Yes, Asa falls into the category of artistes accepted by Nigerian parents. But see ehn, one time I sang this part at home:

I’m in chains you’re in chains too
I wear uniforms and you wear uniforms too
You’re a prisoner too Mr Jailer

I have fears you have fears too
I will die, you sef go die too

That was all the ammunition my father needed to say that I was possessed, singing songs about being a prisoner and wanting to go to jail and die. Why couldn’t I sing songs about being rich? Why do I like to curse myself? See ehn, it was an experience I will never forget.

3. If I Die (Make You No Cry For Me) by Da Grin

Imagine singing this in front of your Yoruba parents. Do you really want to die? They just might assist you with small transport fare to meet your God.

4. Everything by Naira Marley

Especially, toba doko malole or whatever that death sentence of a song is called. It’s like confessing your atrocities, because your parents will then ask you how you know what an oko is. Aren’t you supposed to be holy and pure?

PS: The only oko I know is farm. Don’t corrupt me, dears.

5. The entire discography of Saint Janet.

Not sure if any young person still sings this madam today, but if you’re planning to, it might be time to perish that idea. It will likely end in tears.

6. Everything by Obesere. In fact, the name Obesere is forbidden in a Nigerian home.

I’m so sure that this man’s return must have triggered anxiety in Nigerian parents. To them, he is nothing but a corrupting influence and their holy children will be tainted. Remember how they hid his tapes from you back then? They probably don’t know that you will grow up to become an Obesere intern. Sha don’t sing his song near them.

Did I leave any song out? Tell me in the comments!

You should read this too:

Take to find out

Burna Boy鈥檚 鈥淲etin Man Go Do鈥� (African Giant)

Burna Boy鈥檚 Grammy-nominated magnum opus, African Giant is overflowing with excellent deep cuts, but a clear standout is the hustler鈥檚 anthem, 鈥淲etin Man Go Do鈥�. Even Kel-P, the album鈥檚 primary producer, declared it his favourite track.

Lady Donli鈥檚 鈥淭ake Me Home鈥� (Enjoy Your Life)

Lady Donli鈥檚 debut album, Enjoy Your Life was easily one of the best releases of 2019. While a lot of tracks on the LP could have made this list, the strongest has to be the BenjiFlow-assisted 鈥淭ake Me Home鈥�, an immensely sensual song about the allure of the chase.

Santi鈥檚 鈥淩X-64鈥� (Mandy & The Jungle)

On Santi鈥檚 transportive, genre-defying debut album, Mandy & Jungle, the singer invites us into his vivid universe, and the sun at its centre is the KrisIrie-aided 鈥淩X-64 (The Jungle)鈥�. Excellently produced by Odunsi, the hypnotic deep cut shows Santi at his magnetic best.

Asa鈥檚 鈥淪tay Tonight鈥� (Lucid)

With Lucid, Asa鈥檚 masterful fourth album, the singer-songwriter brilliantly explored the messiness of love and heartbreak. On 鈥淪tay Tonight鈥�, the LP鈥檚 dreamiest deep cut, she looks to heal from the hurt, bravely putting herself back out there in search of the one.

Simi鈥檚 鈥淚mmortal鈥� (Omo Charlie Champagne Vol. 1)

On Omo Charlie Champagne Vol. 1, Simi tackles a host of different themes 鈥� from loss to fame 鈥� but it鈥檚 on 鈥淚mmortal鈥�, her sexiest song to date, that she truly shines. With a fantastic assist from Maleek Berry, 鈥淚mmortal鈥� is further proof of Simi鈥檚 dynamic range.

贵补濒锄鈥檚 鈥淔ollow Follow鈥� (Moral Instruction)

Thanks to Sess鈥� faultless production work, 贵补濒锄鈥檚 Moral Instruction emerged as one of the most technically impressive albums of 2019. The track that most perfectly encapsulates the album鈥檚 sonic mastery is 鈥淔ollow Follow鈥�, a Fela-inspired gem that calls out posers.

Davido鈥檚 鈥淕et To You鈥� (A Good Time)

The most cohesive project of Davido鈥檚 career, A Good Time finds the afropop juggernaut celebrating happiness and love. For the latter theme, the song that does the best job of capturing that is 鈥淕et To You鈥� 鈥� a delightfully toned down and deeply romantic effort.

Tay Iwar鈥檚 鈥淒ON’T KNOW鈥� (Gemini)

Tay Iwar is one of our most gifted musical minds, and he proved that on his astonishing debut, Gemini. Every song on the LP is a testament to his genius, but 鈥淒ON’T KNOW鈥�, which features his equally brilliant brother, Sut茅 Iwar, shines just a little bit brighter.

Fireboy DML鈥檚 鈥淟ike I Do鈥� (Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps)

With Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps, Fireboy DML delivered one of the strongest afropop debut albums we鈥檝e had in years. While littered with beautifully written and performed songs, a clear standout on the project is 鈥淟ike I Do鈥� 鈥� a truly heartwarming love song.

YCee鈥檚 鈥淒ada鈥� (YCee Vs Zaheer)

YCee鈥檚 debut album, YCee Vs Zaheer, served as an infallible reminder of his range 鈥� both as a singer and a rapper 鈥� but it was on the Dapo Turbuna-assisted 鈥淒ada鈥�, easily the project鈥檚 most infectious deep cut, that he reminded us just how much fun he could be as well.