There were the hits, then there were these
mega jams. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Amaka- 2Baba ft. Peruzzi
2Baba may have 20 years in the game, but
he still knows how to put out a hit single to
compete with the freshest and youngest of
them. This year, he bowed with Amaka, a
hugely relatable tale of modern dating, as
told through the voice of the frustrated
male. DMW’s Peruzzi added the spice.
Assurance- Davido
This one was bigger than a song, it was a
hashtag, a lifestyle. The most prominent
romance of the year was the one between
popstar Davido and his chef girlfriend
Chioma Avril Roland. The duo were
constantly trending with reports of every
luxury item Davido chose to spoil her with.
Davido-Chioma fever hit a peak when
Davido’s single Assurance had both figures
at its red hot, overhyped center.
Fake Love- Duncan Mighty ft. Wizkid
The song that launched a thousand tweets
and spawned the battle of supremacy
between fans of Wizkid and Duncan Mighty.
Fake Love was for Duncan Mighty- long
considered king of the South-South- the fast
track to the mainstream. it renergised his
brand and opened the gates to the slew of
other collaborations that followed. All
deserved.
Fever- Wizkid
Fever would have been perfectly forgettable
if Wizkid hadn’t fanned flames of
controversy with a sexy, internet breaking
music video that had he and his bestie
Tiwa Savage set tongues holding hands
and making out like a pair of star-crossed
lovers. The Internet found it too much to
handle. #StewEverywhere.
Ire- Adekunle Gold
Adekunle Gold’s sophomore record About
30 benefited from the usefulness of arriving
with a larger than life lead single. In this
case, it was Ire , the gospel heavy
reaffirmation of life and lesson in
contentment. Ire was so massive, everyone
wanted to cover it.
Legbegbe- Mr Real x Idowest x Kelvin
Chuks x Obadice
One of the biggest street bops of the year,
Legbegbe is originally inspired by the true
life story of a Nollywood film producer who
was accused of stealing iPhones in a
Lagos market. Even though it was released
in 2017, Legbegbe did not fully catch on
until the new year when its catchy call and
response hook became a thing.
Science Student- Olamide
Olamide first flirted with controversy early
in the year when his “Science Student”
couldn’t quite decide if it was condemning
or glorifying illicit drug use. The novelty of
the shaku shaku dance- at the time and the
Thriller inspired video ensured that everyone
was talking about and dancing along to
Science Student for a long time.
Soco- Wizkid x Terri x Spotless x Ceeza
Milli
After a stint in the abroad, Wizkid came
back to his core fan base, mercilessly
churning out the hits with abandon. Soco,
featuring newcomers Terri, Spotless and
Ceeza Milli was the biggest of the bunch.
Produced by Northboi, Soco starts with a
mumble, and warms its way to the part of
brain responsible for identifying earworms.
Wetin we gain- Victor AD
Wetin We Gain isn’t ashamed about what it
represents. It is a love song, but for
money. A hopeful prayer for the kind of
money that will make Aliko Dangote take
notice. Victor AD ties in two of Nigeria’s
favorite past times, money and God, with
the later compensating for the sheer thirst
for the former, giving off the illusion that
the song is a heartfelt prayer. Brilliant
move.
Ye- Burna Boy
The blessing and curse of single, Ye is that
it instinctively calls to mind Kanye West,
But it is for this same reason that many
more eyes and ears have been diverted
Burna’s way. Ye , a grandchild of Fela’s
Sorrow, Tears and Blood maintains a
haunting slow burn throughout its run,
decrying complacency amongst the masses
of poorly governed citizens who really
should have had enough by now.
Another 10:
Aza- DMW Ft. Duncan Mighty, Davido,
Peruzzi
Baba- DJ Spinall ft. Kizz Daniel
Case- Teni
Gbona- Burna Boy
Mr Lova Lova- Tiwa Savage ft. Duncan
Mighty
Nowo- DJ Spinall ft. Wizkid
One Ticket- Kizz Daniel ft. Davido
Shepeteri- Idowest ft. Slimcase
So Mi So- Wande Coal
This is Nigeria- Falz
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