Generally, 2018 has not been an exciting one for many Nigerians. The year opened with unending woes of police brutality, followed by several incidents of mass murder up North, killings by Fulani herdsmen, loss of lives to avoidable truck accidents, not forgetting the fact that Nigeria has topped the list of countries with people living in extreme poverty among others.
It has indeed been a sad year, but thanks to our unfailing national treasures, the musicians, they have played commendable roles in spreading joy throughout our distressed lands. Below are some of the musicians who have given us joy and the reason to live despite the biting hardship. The number is streamlined to 15 starting from the 15th to the first position.
Mr 2Kay Ida Hamas – “God Can Bless Anybody
Although the year was off to a pretty slow start, music’s mysterious vault was opened in the second month of the year with Mr 2Kay being amongst the first to, offer delight with “God can Bless Anybody’ the ninth track in his sophomore “Elevated” album. The singer landed a fan favourite that has now become an anthem in Southern Nigeria.
Kizz Daniel –‘4 Days’
Just like every other year, Kizz Daniel has marked his name in the hits register of 2018. ‘4 days’ is Daniel’s 2018 debut and he recorded an early score with the song.
DJ Spinall Wizkid – “Nowo”
Wizkid landed his first hit in 2018 on the DJ Spinall curated single, “Nowo”. The successes of the song has been tied to the rise of all kids dance group, “Dream Catchers” whose choreography to the record went viral, earning the attention of super model Naomi Campbell, Rapper Diddy and Singer Rihana.
D’Banj –”Issa Banger”
Musically, the year kicked off on the streets and Pop icon D’banj was one of the main stream artistes who tapped early into the “wobe” sound, considered the sound track for the famous Shaku Shaku dance. The Koko master enlisted Streets Kings, Slim Case and Mr Reel for the certified street anthem.
Adekunle Gold – “Ire”
Adekunle Gold’s introspective single ‘Ire’ serves as the propelling factor for his recently released album. The soulful record quickly became the internets favourite with hundreds of fans making compelling covers across social media, hence causing the record to make a swift travel across the country.
Olamide Wizkid – “Kana”
As a writer puts it, Olamide and Wizkid found Chemistry in ‘Kana’, this serves as their second solo collabo and a break from the up tempo Wobe Wave, the laid back rhythm and their par deliveries made Kana the perfect record for a little head bop, feet taps and tiappy vibe.
Burna Boy-Ye
According to Nigerains on twitter, ‘Ye’ by Burna Boy should be declared the country’s new national anthem. You cannot really blame anyone for saying this because the record is indeed deserving of national honours. ‘Ye’ is the sixth track on the widely acclaimed ‘outside’ album and the beautiful coincidence with Kanye’s new album that has the same title with the record has caused a spike on streaming platforms thereby exposing the song to a larger audience.
Duncan Mighty Wizkid – “Fake Love”
“Fake Love” brought veteran Singer Duncan Mighty back into the mainstream conversation this year. The king of the South, enlisted Wizkid, King of the West and they both created an addictive record that has now spread like wild fire across the country.
Tekno – “Yogodo”
Leaning on the power of Nostalgia, “Jogodo” became an instant hit, even the controversy that greeted its release as a result of viral comments by the original creators of the melody (Daunfo Drivers) didn’t hinder the sprout of the record.
Falz- “This is Nigeria”
Falz’s politically charged cover of Childish Gambino’s this is America, perhaps the most talked about record of 2018 yet, “This is Nigeria which found the rapper addressing the various ills of our society in a very apt manner caught the eyes of many, earning the record over a million You-Tube streams in less than 48 hours.