Nigeria: Apple Music Names Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Rema, Asake Biggest Nigerian Artists of All Time

1 October 2023
Premium Times (Abuja)
By Onu Stephen

Apple highlights the feats of the five most prominent Nigerian artistes of all time.

As Nigeria celebrates its 63rd year of independence, Apple Music celebrates again with Oshe Naija, a campaign highlighting Nigerian music's rich history and its ever-growing influence on culture today.

Over the past few years, time and again, Nigerian artistes have set new, more significant milestones on Apple Music, helping bring the music to an ever-growing global audience.

Apple highlights the feats of the five most prominent Nigerian artistes of all time in a statement on Friday.

Burna Boy

The (Number 1) most-streamed Nigerian artist of all time on Apple Music has smashed record after record with his blockbuster albums. His latest was no exception: I Told Them... not only broke the African record for first-week streams but also topped the album chart in 69 countries simultaneously worldwide, a new record for the genre.

Wizkid

He still holds the record for the most-streamed African song of all time with "Essence (feat. Tems)," which has reached the Daily Top 100 in more than 100 countries worldwide and continues to reach the charts three years after its release.

Davido had a record-breaking release with his 2022 album Timeless.

Rema has had one of the biggest summer songs on Apple Music worldwide with the Afrobeats hit "Calm Down," which now holds the record for the African single with the longest run in the top 15 of the Global Daily Top 100.

Rounding out the top five is Asake, who's seen an impressive 11 songs reach the Global Daily Top 100.

And with a whole new class of Nigerian artistes on the rise, big moments like these will keep coming.

Read on for five of the most significant breakthrough Nigerian artistes on Apple Music right now.

1. Seyi Vibez

Seyi Vibez has started getting listeners worldwide hooked on his modernist take on Apala.

This traditional Yoruba-rooted genre draws on Fuji, Amapiano, Hip-Hop, and Afro-soul music elements. Since the release of 2021 "God Sent," which became his first song to reach Apple Music's Daily Top 100, the 23-year-old has seen more than 50 of his songs reach the chart in 20 countries.

Seyi Vibez reached new heights last November with the release of his album Billion Dollar Baby, and more successes have followed, including his first No. 1 on Nigeria's Daily Top 100 and a feature on Burna Boy's star-studded, I Told Them... Seyi Vibez's streams have grown more than five-fold (+435per cent) in the past year.

2. Odumodublvck

With a sound that hops between Drill, Grime Afrobeats and more, Odumodublvck is one of the hottest rappers coming out of Nigeria. After a co-sign by Skepta and signing to NATIVE Records, his November single "Picanto" became his first song to reach the Daily Top 100 in Nigeria. But with the release of his March single "Declan Rice", his streams started to soar.

The song became his first to top the chart in Nigeria and reached the chart in 11 other countries. Odumodublvck's streams have skyrocketed over 3,500 per cent on Apple Music worldwide in the past year.

3. Shallipopi

Shallipopi has had a whirlwind year thanks to his viral Afrobeats hit "Elon Musk." The song first heated up in March, when it became Shallipopi's first song to reach Nigeria's Daily Top 100 and paved the way for his big breakthrough. This summer, he scored his first No. 1 in Nigeria with "Ex-Convict," sent seven other songs to the charts in 12 countries worldwide and was named an Apple Music Up Next artist in Nigeria, joining the likes of Khaid, Pawzzz and Novemba. In late June, Afrobeats star Fireboy DML hopped on a remix of "Elon Musk," which helped Shallipopi's streams soar 508 per cent in Nigeria and 467 per cent worldwide in one week.

4. Victor Thompson

Year after year, Nigeria and other African nations far outpace other countries in Christian and Gospel listening -- with the genre accounting for a more significant percentage of hearing and more songs reaching the Daily Top 100. It's fostered the rise of artists like Gospel singer-songwriter Victor Thompson, who had a breakthrough in January with "This Year (Blessings)." The song has been Thompson's most extensive chart hit, reaching the Daily Top 100 in 58 countries, including ten where it's called the top 10. Thompson's music has seen a 244per cent lift in streams worldwide yearly.

5. Bayanni

Team-ups between Nigerian and American artistes are becoming increasingly common each year, and each year, they climb higher and higher up the charts. Case in point: "Ta Ta Ta," a team-up between Nigerian singer Bayanni and American pop star Jason Derulo. After the song was initially released on Bayanni's 2022 self-titled EP and started gaining steam late last year, Derulo hopped onto a remix in spring, helping it become an even bigger global hit. "Ta Ta Ta" has reached the Daily Top 100 in 54 countries, including 20 where it's called the top 10.

Celebrate Nigerian Independence at Apple Music's Oshe Naija dedicated space.

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