The Nigerian music industry went wild this year with creative lyrics and beats from artistes all over the country and abroad.
This article looks at the top 10 highest rated Nigerian music albums released between December 2023 and November 2024, based on their performance on the Turntable charts, streaming performances and critics review.
HEIS – Rema
Rema’s ‘HEIS’ stands out as a potentially influential album of the year, marking a departure from the growing dominance of Amapiano in Afrobeats. This Afro-Rave project, reaching number one on the Turntable Top 100, has been praised for its bold experimentation, though it also sparked debate among fans. Tracks like ‘Hehehe’, ‘Ozeba’, ‘Azaman’, and ‘Benin Boys’ all resonated strongly, each surpassing 20 million Spotify streams.
Adedamola – Fireboy DML
Fireboy DML, a Nigerian singer and songwriter, released his fourth studio album, titled “Adedamola,” on August 29, 2024. The album, released under YBNL Nation and Empire, includes collaborations with notable artists such as Seun Kuti, Jon Batiste, Lagbaja, Lojay, and DJ Spinall. The album peaked at number 2 on the Turntable Top 100 album charts and received recommending reviews from critics during its release. According to critics, Fireboy took a journey of self-discovery going back to making the kind of music that offers the familiarity that won him the love and admiration of listeners. Songs such as ‘Everyday’ and ‘Iseoluwa’ earned huge listenership from fans raking in over 20 million streams each on Spotify.
Lungu Boy – Asake
Asake, known for his unique fusion of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Fuji, released his third studio album, ‘Lungu Boy’ August 9 2024. The album was highly anticipated following the success of Mr. Money With the Vibes (2022) and Work of Art (2023). Songs like ‘Active’ featuring Travis Scott and ‘MMS’ featuring Wizkid were the best performing songs on the album with over 30 million streams and 40 million streams. The album peaked at number 1 on Turntable top 100 album charts and was the second most streamed album on Spotify in 2024.
The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
The anticipation for Ayra Starr’s second album was high in 2024, fueled by the success of her debut and the hit singles ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and ‘Rush’ This new album showcased her musical versatility, blending genres and languages while delving into complex emotions like grief, heartbreak, empowerment, and growth. Collaborations with other artists like Seyi Vibez, Anitta, Giveon, further explored the diverse themes. Some of the most streamed songs on the album include Commas, ‘Woman Commando’, ‘Last Heartbreak Song’ and ‘Santa’ which has over 543 million Spotify streams. The album peaked at number one on the Turntable Top 100 album chart and ranked 53 on the RollingStones 2024 top 100 album of 2024.
Jiggy Forever – Young Jonn
The producer turned singer released his debut album ‘Jiggy Forever’ on 12 April 2024 under the Chocolate City Music imprint. Though the album is labelled by critics as monotonous due to Young Jonn’s repetitive delivery and similar sounding beats the album boast trendy songs such as ‘Aquafina’ which has over 52 million streams on Spotify with other songs like Stronger and Bahamas having huge streaming numbers. Jiggy Forever peaked at number 2 on the Turntable Top 100 Chart and was the most streamed Nigerian album on Spotify in 2024.
Stubborn – Victony
Released on 21 June 2024, Stubborn is Victony’s debut album since breaking into the music scene since his breakout performance on ‘Holy Father’ with Mayorkun in 2021. The 14 track album had hits such as ‘Everything’ an Afropop single, ‘Risk’ (R&B/Soul), and ‘Stubborn’ featuring Asake which was the stand out Afrobeats song on the album. Stubborn peaked at number 2 on the Turntable Top 100 album chart.
Loseyi Professor – Seyi Vibez
Seyi Vibez released ‘Loseyi Professor’ a 7-track album on July 12, 2024, which was his seventh project in 21 months before the release of the album. The standout track from the album was ‘Doha’ with over 14 million streams on Spotify. This was the final album released before his contract with Dapper Music expired. The album was labeled by critics as flat and according to PulseNG a signal that the Street pop sensation is desperately in need of a breather before another album release. The album peaked at number 2 on the Turntable Top 100 album Chart.
RnB – Ruger & Bnxn
BNXN and Ruger were enmeshed in a beef of their own through July to August 2022, as the conversation heated up about who would emerge winner of the Next Rated award at the 15th Headies, an honour they were both in contention for which saw BNXN pick up the win. The beef was later squashed as the two united to release a joint album ‘R&B. According to critic’s reviews online, the album didn’t meet the expectations of their previous works with most critics giving the album a rating of 6/7 out of 10 all citing the album as a compilation of feel-good, sybaritic love songs with melodies. RnB peaked at number 2 on the Turntable Top 100 album chart.
Born in the wild – Tems
Born in the Wild is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer Tems. It was released on 7 June 2024, via RCA Records and Since ’93. The album was supported by the singles ‘Me & U’, ‘Love Me JeJe’ which reimagined the version of Seyi Sodimu 1997 classic of the same name and ‘Burning’. Born in the Wild features guest appearances from J. Cole and Asake.
Ikigai, Vol. 1 – Olamide
Olamide released Ikigai on 26 June 2024. It follows his 2023 album Unruly. For his 10th solo project ‘Ikigai,’ Olamide recruits talented music producer Semzi while assembling present and former YBNL associates to craft an album that emphasizes his role as a hitmaker and star maker. Olamide’s album showcases his lyrical prowess, influence, and musical versatility in songs like ‘Makaveli’, ‘Uptown Disco’ and ‘Hello Habibi’. The album peaked at number one on the Turntable top 100 album chart.
Shakespopi – Shallipopi
Shakespopi is Shallipopi’s second studio album released through Plutomania Records and Dapper Music & Ent on April 11, 2024. This is a follow-up to his previous album, Presido La Pluto. The 9 song album peaked at number 1 on the Turntable charts. The album however received underwhelming reviews from critics for being a lazy body of work wrapped in Amapiano sounds.
