After a four-year hiatus from music, Nigerian rapper YCee recently sat down with The Afropolitan Podcast‘s Eche Emole and Chika Emole to discuss what life out of the public eye has been like. The “Jagaban” crooner was quite honest and vulnerable: he revealed a bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2020 at the height of Covid that […]
Read More… from Nigeria Didn’t Fall Into the Olodo Economy. It Chose It
For the first time in contemporary Nigerian music, a Wizkid classic is being sampled, and Singer-songwriter Taves is behind it. The Ibadan-born artist is bridging generations by reimagining Wizkid’s legendary hit “Don’t Dull” on his new single “Uche Jumbo.” The charming pop track blends his signature emotive songwriting with smooth Afro-fusion production. The latest […]
Read More… from The Pick: Taves Bridges Generations by Reimagining Wizkid’s Classic on “Uche Jumbo”
GRAMMY Award-nominated Nigerian musician FAVE is set to release her third EP, RNBLING, a genre-defying six-track project, on Wednesday, July 8. The project, headlined by the already-released, infectious afropop love anthem ‘‘Dance’’, is further bolstered by two guest features: Chike joining on track 2, ‘‘Miss You,’’ an R&B cut, and Yemi Alade lending her […]
The second half of the year is heating up as Nigerian singer Davido officially prepares for his next era. The Afrobeats star has unveiled the title and release date for his upcoming sixth studio album. The new project, titled ORIADÉ, will arrive on July 31, 2026, exactly 15 years after his breakthrough in the music […]
Read More… from Davido Commemorates 15-Year Music Career with New Studio Album ‘ORIADÉ’
Walk into the Barack Obama Presidential Center and two of the first artworks you will encounter were created by Africans. One is by Ethiopian artist Julie Mehretu. The other by Nigerian artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. It is another reminder that contemporary African art is no longer emerging, it has arrived. Embedded in the exterior […]
Read More… from The African Artists Defining Global Contemporary Art
The first half of 2026 for Afrobeats has been a mildly successful run despite the domestic encumbrances the sound has faced in recent years. But while the music continues its meteoric rise across continents, the weight of success at home has been staggering. This year, the discourse on Afrobeats’ decline became a matter of national […]
Read More… from Bounce Best 10 Afrobeats Songs of 2026 So Far
The second part of the year is starting to get steamy hot for Nigerian and African music, and we can’t get enough of the new releases from the week. This week’s episode of Fresh Out is a blend of surprise drops, highly anticipated singles, and albums. After a successful run in the previous year, Afrobeats […]
Every year, the Nigerian music industry unveils a select group of rising artists whose music shapes conversations and breaks the charts. These artists, marked by distinct sonic identities, make the class of the year with breakout songs and viral hits. Last year, FOLA, Mavo, and Zaylevelten were projected as the class of 2025 breakout artists. […]
Read More… from These 10 Rising Artists Could Own the Rest of 2026
Last Saturday, June 21, 2026, as several Lagos residents criticised the state government for enabling many parts of the state to turn into dumpsites, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, attempted to rationalise the government’s failure. Responding to criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for the 2027 elections in […]
Read More… from The Wrong People Are in Charge of Lagos Waste Management
If there’s one thing evident in Nigerian music this year, it’s the surge of rising artists with distinct sonic identities and personalities. These artists aren’t just creating new sounds but reinventing indigenous sounds with contemporary and futuristic elements. And Solana’s latest offering to the industry, “Okunkun,” in collaboration with producer-artist Killertunes, is yet another testament […]
Read More… from The Pick: Solana’s “Okunkun” Reinvents ‘YoruPop’ for a New Generation
For a second consecutive 2026 World Cup match last Thursday, June 18, large sections of African social media were rooting against South Africa. In a tournament that has seen Africans back other African countries in solidarity, the Bafana Bafana have not received similar sympathies in response to the rampant and ongoing xenophobic attacks on African […]
Read More… from South Africa’s Reputation Problem is No Longer Just Political
Historically, third albums in the Nigerian music industry are where artists stop being promising and become defining voices of their generations. For Ayra Starr, whose last five years have been spent establishing and cementing her stardom across the globe, her third studio album, StarrGirl, is set to affirm her legacy. Circa the pandemic […]
Read More… from Why ‘StarrGirl’ Could Define Ayra Starr’s Entire Career
