To rank the top 10 albums of 2024, we have to sieve through a long list of fine releases to choose the best that stands out critically and commercially.
Top 19 Afrobeats Albums of 2024
19. Son of Chike
- Artist – Chike
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Brothers Records
- Date of Release – July 19, 2024
Chike’s Son of Chike is a thoughtfully crafted 12-track album that showcases his evolution as an artist while staying rooted in his heritage. The album blends smooth R&B vocals with elements of traditional highlife, celebrating his eastern Nigerian roots. Featuring collaborations with Olamide, LADIPOE, Qing Madi, Amaeya, and the late Mohbad, the album is rich in diverse sounds. Standout tracks include Unto You, where LADIPOE brings soulful depth, the chart-topping Egwu energized by Mohbad, and One Day, a motivational anthem with Olamide and Amaeya. Son of Chike is both a tribute to his ancestry and a reflection of his growth in a changing world.
18. OFA (Oxlade From Africa)
- Artiste – Oxlade
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Troniq Inc/ Epic Records
- Date of Release – September 20, 2024
Oxlade’s debut album, OFA (Oxlade From Africa), is a 16-track showcase of his versatility. It features collaborations with stars like Flavour, Wande Coal, Sarkodie, Fally Ipupa, Dave, and Popcaan. With infectious rhythms and well-crafted lyrics, OFA solidifies Oxlade’s position as a leading voice in Nigerian music and is a testament to his immense talent.
17. Loseyi Professor
- Artiste – Seyi Vibez
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Vibez Inc/ Dvpper
- Date of Release – July 12, 2024
Seyi Vibez’s Loseyi Professor is a solo EP showcasing his artistic journey and global aspirations through tracks like Lagos, Casablanca, and Albert Einstein. With no features, the project highlights his evolving artistry and solidifies his status as a rising force in Nigerian music.
16. In Nasboi I Trust
- Artiste – Nasboi
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Eminent Transglobal Sounds Records Limited
- Date of Release – September 19, 2024
Nasboi’s debut EP, I.N.I.T (In Nasboi I Trust), blends Afrobeat with humour and storytelling. Featuring collaborations with Chike, 2Baba, Falz, and Joeboy, the 6-track project explores themes of love, self-expression, and life’s joys. Songs like Ajo and Could This Be Love focus on romance, while Small Money and Short Skirt celebrate simplicity. Balancing playful and introspective tracks, the EP marks Nasboi’s transition from comedy to music, highlighting his artistic growth.
15. Lost and Found
- Artiste – Simi
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Studio Brat LLC
- Date of Release – July 5, 2024
Simi’s Lost and Found is a 14-track album blending Afrobeats with soulful melodies and contemporary influences. Featuring collaborations with legends like Ebenezer Obey and Asa, as well as Afrobeats stars such as Falz, Tiwa Savage, and Bella Shmurda, the album delivers a diverse and unique listening experience. Personal and emotional, Lost and Found reflects Simi’s vulnerabilities, triumphs, and relationships, resonating deeply with fans and marking a significant evolution in her artistry.
14. Vibez Incorporation Mixtape Vol.1
- Artiste – Vibez Inc.
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Vibez Inc / Dvpper Digital
- Date of Release – May 10, 2024
Seyi Vibez’s Vibez Incorporated Vol. 1 is a dynamic mixtape that combines Afrobeat, trap, and rap influences, highlighting his versatility. The project features collaborations with Tml Vibez, Stonebwoy, Balloranking, Bloody Civilian, Muyeez, Tion Wayne, and DwillsHarmony, with themes of perseverance and self-belief. Released in parts leading up to its full launch, the mixtape includes references to iconic imagery, such as the XXL Freshman Class cover, while showcasing Vibez Inc.’s evolving sound and collective artistic vision.
13. African Royalty
- Artiste – Flavour
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – 2Nite Music Group
- Date of Release – November 30, 2023
Flavour’s African Royalty album lives up to its title, showcasing his majestic aura throughout. With twelve tracks, the album highlights Flavour’s seamless navigation of diverse musical styles while celebrating the richness and resilience of African culture. The project maintains thematic cohesion, paying tribute to African majesty and Flavour’s unique sound.
12. Full Time Job
- Artiste – Phyno
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – Penthauze/ MAD Solutions LLC
- Date of Release – October 4, 2024
Full Time Job album is cohesive, culturally rich, and effortlessly blends traditional rhythms with broader appeal. Phyno’s seamless delivery in both rapping and singing keeps listeners engaged, showcasing his mastery and dedication to his craft, even during breaks in his career.
11. Ikigai
- Artiste – Olamide
- Country – Nigeria
- Label – YBNL /EMPIRE
- Date of Release – July 26, 2024
Nigerian music icon Olamide has surprised fans with Ikigai / 生き甲斐, Vol. 1, a seven-track EP inspired by the Japanese concept of finding one’s “reason for living.” The project showcases Olamide’s evolution as an artist and businessman, blending Afrobeats, rap, and soulful melodies in a display of versatility. With themes of self-discovery and purpose, the EP hints at the possibility of a larger, multi-volume series.
10. The Chorus Leader – Timi Dakolo
On ‘The Chorus Leader’, Timi Dakolo assumes the position of the conductor of a fine orchestra as he crafts an album that flows smoothly and transitions beautifully across genres and themes while gripping listeners for 61 minutes as they make their way to a gratifying finish.
Timi Dakolo achieves a fine balance on ‘TCL’ as he makes music that at its core, appeals primarily to listeners whose sonic taste palettes are formed by the sonics that drive contemporary gospel music and a demographic who enjoys a modern take on Nigerian indigenous music.
His musical dexterity shines across the album as he delivers elevated genre-suitable writings as he combines English, Pidgin, and indigenous language to convey his takes on themes that matter to him.
9. Born In The Wild – Tems
While Tems’ fast-growing fan base feverishly demanded that she tie an album to her monumental rise, the Grammy-winner elected to take her time to introspect and find her voice before charting a course for her continuous ascension.
It’s this sobriety of self-reflection, the desire to heal from past hurts and trauma, and an appreciation of the beauty amidst her surreal rise that shapes her debut album ‘Born In The Wild’.
With this album, Tems answers lingering questions about her artistry and positioning through music that carries her essence and connects with listeners whose love and patronage lifted her to superstar status.
At the album’s core is RnB music grounded in soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics delivered through a familiar singing style that plays around with conventional melodic structures and forms. Tems also offered more than just the familiar as she explored Afrobeats, jazz, dancehall, and hip-hop to craft an album that conveys the multiple influences that shape her talent.
8. Morayo – Wizkid
‘Morayo’ takes listeners on a leisurely journey of the quintessential sound that has shaped Wizkid’s over a decade of dominance in Nigerian music.
Through an exploration of the lush R&B fusion that delivered his classic 2020 album ‘Made In Lagos’, Wikzid crafts serenading tunes and slow jamz. He leans into Afrobeats to give listeners party starters reminiscent of his grip on the dancefloor.
In an emphatic display of his superstar status, the album broke multiple streaming records with its first day and first-week haul which sets the project up for potential long-term success.
7. Lungu Boy – Asake
Asake’s first two LPs pack the achieved fusion of Amapiano log drums, Fuji, and hip-hop influences excellently delivered through bustling energetic cadences that rocketed him to superstardom.
With his place at the upper echelon of Nigeria music firmly secured, He decided to offer something different on his third LP as he linked up with new collaborators and cut back on the familiar elements that define his music.
‘Lungu Boy’ is an expansion of Asake’s artistry as he balances his hitmaking ability with daring fusions capable of widening his listener base.
6. adedamola – Fireboy
On his fourth self-titled body of work, Fireboy embarks on a journey of self-discovery, making music that holds his emotions and offers the familiarity that won him the love and admiration of listeners.
If ‘LTG’ was the documentation of the yearnings of a talented rookie, ‘adedamola’ is the work of a pop star skilled in the genre-bending Afropop demands while also showcasing his reach to call on legends and global stars to make an album befitting of his superstar status.
Over 14 tracks, the 28-year-old crafts singles that capture his yearning for romantic love and his struggles with the same. He shares the interminable challenges fame brings while making party-starting cuts to propel his commercial push.
5. Jiggy Forever – Young Jonn
Young Jonn spent the better part of a decade crafting era-defining hits for Nigerian music stars hence he knows when he has a hit song on his hands like his chart-topper ‘Dada’ which he recruited megastar Davido for the remix.
It’s this desire to announce himself as a force to be reckoned with in Nigerian pop music that informs his debut album ‘Jiggy Forever’ where he deploys familiar Amapiano fusion to deliver a hit-filled album that has enjoyed a lengthy shelf life.
4. Homeless – Llona
‘Homeless’ is Llona’s documentation of a life filled with strife and sorrow yet one that he keeps forging ahead in the hope of a better tomorrow.
On his debut album, the minted star paints vivid images that bring listeners into his world and offer them a picturesque experience of a tumultuous journey to freedom soundtracked by captivated and relatable records.
‘Homeless’ is for the ones who hurt and the ones who know pain. It is for folks who have known sadness yet yearn for joy and beauty amidst the bleak mid-winter.
3. HEIS – Rema
Rema’s sophomore album‘HEIS’ is one of the most talked about Nigerian albums of 2024. Its uptempo production, pulsating baselines, and breathlessly aggressive chest-thumping delivery echo Rema’s desire to make an album that’s decidedly different from the dominant Afropop framework his contemporaries have deployed for the past couple of years.
With viral hits like ‘Hehehe’ and party starters like ‘Ozeba’ and ‘Azaman’, Rema’s ‘HEIS’ was a bold attempt to seize back the Afrobeats dancefloor from the choking grip of Amapiano.
While its bold and breathless execution may have divided opinion, its commercial success and critical acclaim have made it one of the most impactful Nigerian albums of 2024.
2. The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
A popstar whose sensibilities are forged by Nigerian and international influences, Ayra Starr’s ‘The Year I Turned 21′ offers brilliantly curated music that brings together Nigerian and global audiences under the “Sabi girl” umbrella.
Assured in her abilities, Ayra Starr delivers an album that brilliantly explores Afrobeats, Highlife, and a blend of RnB and UK-leaning genres to convey the multiplicity of influences that shape her talent while also showcasing the confidence of a superstar who’s fully aware of her place in the scheme of things.
1. Stubborn – Victony
More than any other artist in Nigeria this year, Victony pushed the boundaries of his artistry with his debut album ‘Stubborn’.
An artist who has endured different challenges on his journey to stardom, it’s the sheer will to keep forging ahead in the face of life’s curveballs and constantly pushing the boundaries of his creativity that shape Victony’s debut album ‘Stubborn’.
Victony found success doing what he loves, how he wants to, and he flaunts this in an album that offers quintessential versions of his daring creativity.
All through the 14 tracks, Victony is himself. Listeners find large pieces of his artistry in every track whether through his fanciful use of English, pidgin, deploying lamba (Nigerian style of talking used for bragging, flattering, and painting an exaggerated narrative) for Afrobeats relatability, his lush mid-tempo melodies, and his genre-fusing experimentations.
‘Stubborn’ is an elevated conceptual Afropop album that offers the best of an artist focused on making a project that will endure beyond the ability to offer momentary delight.
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