This year in Afropop, a whispery Ghanaian It-Girl shook the world, a Francophone trio remade Bastille Day in their image, and East African R&B stars took romantic tension to new heights. Meanwhile, a young, cosmopolitan pop star made a cocktail of the varied African cultures she’s lived in for a song so successful it’s made her the most streamed woman in France, a Ugandan upstart got an Afroswing architect to helm his latest album, and a South African singer made a momentous pivot to 3-step production. Then, there was a hometown hero from Lagos who gave his fuji and gospel tungba elders a new moment in the spotlight.

Under Afropop’s wide umbrella, musicians young and old played with tradition and paid homage to the greats before them just as much as they embraced innovation and strengthened their unique voices. Here, five writers with roots and homes across the continent and diaspora sift through a wide world of sounds for some of the best music Afropop had to offer.

Drizilik, The Therapist, ‘Lemonade’

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Two of Sierra Leone’s most prominent rappers link to make “Lemonade” out of lemons on this fiery single from January. The Therapist’s “Nack” from 2022 was an Amapiano-indebted party-starter produced by Nigerian beatsmith Masterkraft that traveled across the diaspora, and “Lemonade” follows suit as a slick, dancey ode to resilience where both rappers flex their flows. “I’d rather be the devil than sell my soul to him,” Drizilik spits about staying the course and staying on top. The Therapist brags that he’s “Sharp like a knife/Straight like arrow” – and so is this track.* – M.C. *

Hevi, ‘My Rider’

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“My Rider” finds Tanzanian newcomer Hevi leaning fully into her inner lover girl—and the song invites listeners to do the same. Drawing on traditional East African R&B with subtle touches of amapiano, a beloved genre in the region, the track is elevated by Hevi’s bright, soulful tone, which truly sets it apart. Perfect for any Valentine’s playlist, “My Rider” marks Hevi’s first, yet meaningful, step toward Afropop stardom. – K.M.

Asake, ‘Why Love’

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For much of Asake’s “Why Love”, the distinct Nigerian singer is ferried by ululating horns. “Why Love” is as much a love story as it is an expansion of Asake’s orchestra-leaning musical sensibility. Though a bit of a slow burn, the song had a strong presence throughout 2025, climbing the charts gradually and drawing in listeners over time, without the urgent, arresting vim typical of Asake’s previous records. Nonetheless, “Why Love” reaffirmed that Asake still has what it takes to surprise and delight. – O.A.

Moliy feat. Tyla, ‘Body Go’

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Moliy and Tyla’s “Body Go” brings together two African pop stars at the height of their global game. It borrows from the popiano sound that Tyla has popularized, while Moliy’s dreamy vocals add an enthralling layer to the logdrum-slathered production, showcasing the Ghanaian singer/songwriter’s versatility. Drawing on the tried and tested formula of their past hits — a waist-gyrating dance challenge accompanying an irresistible hook — the cross-cultural collab stands bold and fearless. Tyla’s conviction singing, “Section full of baddies/Who just wanna have fun/We don’t bother no one,” defines the track’s unapologetic energy. – M.M.

Naza feat. SDM, ‘Tout Donner’

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“Tout Donner” feels like an exhale after a heavy year. Together, French-Congolese stars Naza and SDM deliver one of 2025’s most quietly enduring anthems, carried by the hypnotic shimmer of a soukous-style synth guitar that loops like memory. The title “Tout Donner”(“I gave everything“) lands as communal reckoning, echoed in Naza’s line, “J’ai fait du son en voyant les miens, en tapant des mains” or “I made music watching my people clapping along.” Neither artist is new, but the pairing feels timely, grounding bravado in gratitude and fatigue. Supercharged by TikTok remixes that racked up hundreds of thousands of reposts over the last month, “Tout Donner” has the slow-burn quality of a song that won’t stop this December — music for surviving, not flexing. * – A.T.*

DJ Maphorisa, DJ Tunez, Wizkid, Mavo, ‘Money Constant’

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In the last quarter, DJ Maphorisa’s “Money Constant” gave Afropop the lively push it needed. The track quickly made an impact across the continent — particularly in Nigeria, where it currently sits at Number 3 on Apple Music’s Top 100: Nigeria songschart. It certainly doesn’t hurt that homegrown stars DJ Tunez, Wizkid and Mavo make excellent accomplices here. Blending amapiano’s accelerating rhythms with eclectic Nigerian Afrobeats, “Money Constant” captures the warm, never-ending vibrancy of African nightlife. – K.M.

DJ Malvado, DJ Aka-M feat. Doddy, ‘Mussulo’

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Angolan and Portuguese producer/DJ Malvado has been an influential figure in the Angolan music scene since his emergence in the early 2000s. Much like his previous releases, the viral “Mussulo” blurs the lines between Afro-house, kizomba, and kuduro. The light-hearted track mirrors the joyous life of the tropical island it’s named after — bright, euphoric, and full of festivities. The Portuguese lyrics, “Esqueço os meus problemas, só quero drenar/A drena é no Mussulo,” or “I forget my problems, l just want to drain/The drainage is in Mussulo,” captures the song’s care-free energy. – M.M.

Kedjevara, ‘Ça Fait Mal’

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The moment “Ça fait mal” opens, it takes control. Less a song than a set of instructions, it follows the commanding logic of classic coupé-décalé and sparked a full-scale return for Ivorian mainstay Kedjevara after more than a decade in the game. The refrain —“Ça fait mal, faut calmer ton cœur”— lands like hard-earned reassurance: yes, it hurts, but you’ll live. Uncles, aunties, and Gen Z all caught on, with the song trending across TikTok from Abidjan to Kinshasa and parts of Brazil. Familiar in form and undeniable in force, the record proves the old formulas still hit when the voice is right. * – A.T.*

Rigo Kamp, ‘Marathon’

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Although he’s just making his entry into the Nigerian music scene now, Rigo Kamp already has the swagger of a highly accomplished musician. For “Marathon,” his standout track from 2025, Kamp swerves around the conventions of genre, combining Afro-Juju’s talking drums across the song with funky psychedelic strings in places, too. “Marathon” is otherworldly yet perfectly club-ready. With his witty and memorable writing, Kamp represents a new school of alté artistes who are borrowing from local instrumentations to explore cosmopolitan concerns. – O.A.

Shandesh, Mvzzle, ‘Sdudla or Slender’

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Lekompo, the vibrant sound out of South Africa’s Limpopo province, had its mainstream moment this year, thanks to its energetic percussions, memorable melodies, and lively synths. Along with other like-minded musicians, Shandesh has risen to become one of the driving voices behind the genre’s commercial success. The body positive “Sdudla or Slender” is a collaboration with producer Mvzzle, blending lekompo with the rubbery pads of bacardi house as the 21-year-old sings about gaining happy weight. – M.M.

Stonebwoy, ‘Gidi Gidi (Fire)’

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With “Gidi Gidi (Fire),” Stonebwoy blends his Ghanaian spin on reggae and dancehall with an amapiano, offering a sound that’s steady with the times yet perfectly suited to his gritty, clubby style. Filled with subtle jabs in Ewe and a reminder of how far he’s come, Stonebwoy is ultimately not concerned with the noise around him as much as he is about the vast beauty of his life. “Gidi Gidi”* *might have been a party-starter this year, but it’s also a deeply reflective song from a man taking stock of what truly matters to him. – O.A.

Watendawili feat. Xenia Manasseh, ‘Beba’

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On “Beba,” Watendawili singers Ywaya Tajiri and Israel Onyach croon, “Lovin’ you is easy,” and the song is just that: easy to love. The beloved duo’s vocals are especially dreamy on the track and their guest, Kenyan singer Xenia Manasseh (who recently earned a Grammy nomination for her work on Teyana Taylor’s Escape Room), fits right in. Its amapiano influences bring “Beba” to life and signal a growing alliance between the South African genre and East African R&B. Despite its late 2024 release, a music video for the song dropped this June, spiking its popularity and cultural influence. – K.M.

ApreeL, ‘Control’

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Early in the year, Sierra Leonean artist and producer ApreeL made waves in the small West African nation with “O’Way,” a moody love song whose hook flips an old vocal game from the country’s Temne tribe. In an interview with local media network AYV, he promised his next song would call on other Sierra Leonean cultures. Lo and behold, in August came “Control,” which even more masterfully modernizes traditional drums under ApreeL’s dreamy promises of romantic devotion. “Thank you, tenki, momo, biaka,” he sings, gently repeating his gratitude for his girl’s love across some of Sierra Leone’s most prominent languages – English, Krio, Temne, and Mende. “Control” is innovative and striking – the perfect song to transcend borders under the banner of Sierra Leonean pride. – M.C.

DJ Maphorisa, Xduppy, Kabza De Small feat. Thatohatsi, Young Stunna, Nkosazana Daughter, ‘Abantwana Bakho’

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With over a decade of being at the top of his game, DJ Maphorisa has proven his undeniable hitmaking capabilities. On “Abantwana Bakho,” (which translates to “Your children”) he — along with amapiano frontrunner Kabza De Small and Maphorisa’s protege Xduppy — assembled the vocal talents of Thatohatsi, Young Stunna and Nkosazana Daughter for an emotive, introit-like record. Sung entirely in IsiZulu over laid-back drums, honeyed chord progressions, piercing guitar licks, and euphoric strings, “Abantwana Bakho” is a multi-layered, soulful earworm that could make even the most casual amapiano listener play it on loop. – M.M.

Show Dem Camp feat. Winny, ‘Pele’

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If HBO’s Insecure were still airing new episodes, Show Dem Camp’s “Pele” featuring Winny would be a standout on the show’s score. The Nigerian rap duo capture deep yearning, with Winny’s melodic vocals amplifying the track’s sense of romance, wonder, and desire. Anchored by 1990s hip-hop pacing and layered with bits of funk and jazz, the song paints an intimate, textured portrait of the beautiful yet complicated pursuit of companionship — a unique interpretation of a universal experience. – K.M.

Iyanii feat. Dufla Diligon, ‘Donjo Maber’

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“Donjo Maber” is one of the biggest East African entries into Afropop this year. Blending Luo instrumentation, language, and prayer, the track bridges past and future — Iyanii draws on established Kenyan musical traditions while incorporating Dufla Diligon’s dancehall flair to create something fresh yet familiar. Its easy, addictive groove even spawned a viral TikTok dance challenge, most recently spotted during Kenya’s Jamhuri Day celebrations, where President William Ruto joined in on the trend. – K.M.

Seyi Vibes, ‘How Are You’

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Seyi Vibes’ jazzy, Afro-house flip of Bobby Caldwell’s 1978 R&B classic “What You Won’t Do For Love” is smooth and sensual. The track is flourished with slick DJs scratching, choral outbursts, and warped vocals that give it depth and texture, and so Seyi Vibes himself wisely doesn’t do too much. He cooly pursues a love – or lust – interest with a confident, unbothered demeanor. “I just want to say hello,” he offers, though choppy, sticky verses belie his much more carnal intentions. *– M.C. *

Abigail Chams, Harmonize, ‘Me Too’

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Tanzanian singer/songwriter Abigail Chams and Bongo Flava crooner Harmonize have collaborated on a handful of songs, but they find an especially sweet spot on “Me Too.” The pair have striking chemistry as they confess and vow their love. “I know I’m only 21/And you’re 31/And the only one/The only man that I need in my life,” Chams says boldly as her verse opens. She’s now 22 with a BET award nomination (the first for an East African woman in the Best New International Act race, at that) already in the bag and the world lying ahead of her. – M.M.

Chella, ‘My Darling’

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This year, “My Darling” soundtracked more than seven million TikToks, including dance challenges and get-ready-with-me videos, but that’s not the only impressive thing about it. Nigerian singer Chella combines repetitive hooks and spare but playful lyrics to cater to a generation that likes their music short and sweet. The song is delivered in both Igbo (one of the most spoken languages in Nigeria) and the pidgin English (that’s also widely spoken in the country) lending it an easy accessibility. His comically pitched voice on top of a beat that favors strings over bass also makes “My Darling” easy to return to. – O.A.

Joshua Baraka, Axon, ‘Morocco’

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Since his 2023 breakthrough, Ugandan musician Joshua Baraka has been on an impressive run and at the forefront of a new generation of artists coming out of East Africa. “Morocco” (the second track from his debut album Juvie, which also includes the hit “Wrong Places”) is a status update of how life has been for the singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist as he navigates his newfound notoriety — his talent has landed him in foreign countries and he’s making money, but he still just wants to make memories with his homies. On the dancehall-tinged track, the 24-year-old trades his usual heartfelt R&B harmonies and pop sensibilities for a casually introspective vibe. – M.M.

Blaqbonez, ‘ACL’

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Recently, a beef between Nigerian rappers Odumodublvck and Blaqbonez allegedly escalated to violence against a member of Blaq’s label personnel. Back in October, the Blaq kept his cool and stuck to bars on the searing diss track “ACL.” A standout on Blaq’s fourth album No Excuses, the two-part rebuttal begins with an icy, athletic beat before easing into a new, more decadent backdrop driven by a pitched-up sample. This is where Blaq is at his most mature – and biting. In the music video, a long scroll of alleged DM tirades from Odumodu accompanies Blaq rapping, “If you text me before you talk to God/then I’m your religion/If it was 2019, I’d be posting some memes and shit/But I had to grow up, be an OG and shit.” Before signing off, he thanks Odumodu: “Cause you showed me who I didn’t wanna be and shit.” – M.C.

Mavo feat. Wave$tar, ‘Escaladizzy’

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If you had never heard of Mavo, “Escaladizzy” may have changed that. The rising star’s street-rap prowess is on full display. Paired with the track’s explosive production and local influences, it’s even more compelling. With “Escaladizzy,” Mavo proposes a fresh fusion of pop and alté, inspiring a star-studded remix featuring Shallipopi, Zlatan, and Ayra Starr. The trio breathe new life into an already electric track. Named Billboard’s African Rookie of the Month in November, Mavo cemented himself as a rapper to watch on “Escaladizzy.” – K.M.

Taves, ‘Popstar Party’

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Grounded cool and nightlife glitz collide on Taves’ “Popstar Party,” the Nigerian singer-songwriter’s most ambitious and experimental release to date. Fresh off the momentum of his single two-pack W2Y and collaborations with artists like Tiwa Savage and DJ Spinall, Taves makes it clear he’s ready to help push Afropop into an even more boundless, genre-agnostic space on “Popstar Party.” The track sees his Weeknd-esque sultry magnetism paired with gritty electric guitars and smoky production, creating a sound that’s borderline addictive. Before long, everyone will want an invite to Taves’ place. – K.M.

Denden, ‘Padtal’

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For much of the year, it was impossible to scroll Francophone TikTok without running into “Padtal.” The young, French-Ivorian star Denden delivers a brief, club-ready jolt of French urban pop fused with coupé-décalé’s instructional logic. The words activate the body — à gauche, à droite — with movement cues that land on instinct. The song plays like a pep talk disguised as choreography, a communal call-and-response rather than a performance. Short, sticky, and impossible to shake, “Padtal” understands that sometimes the message lives entirely in motion. * – A.T.*

Tiwa Savage feat. Skepta, ‘On the Low’

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This year, Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage made a big bet on herself by returning to her R&B roots for her latest album, This One Is Personal. True to the LP’s name, “On the Low” is one of several vulnerable tracks. Alongside British-Nigerian rapper Skepta, Savage articulates the bewildering experience of loving in secret. Telling Rolling Stone that the track reflected a real, failed relationship that seemed set to “destroy something in me,” she said, “I didn’t want people to find out who I was seeing, and at this time I really, really wanted it to work.” “On the Low” is sweetened by a subtle, upbeat backdrop as Savage tries to make sense of a romance that’s only half-full. – O.A.

Olamide feat. Wizkid, ‘Kai!’

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In “Kai!” two Afrobeats heavyweights, Olamide and Wizkid, serve up a lounging-in-a-penthouse groove. Dripped in affectations and ambitious promises, “Kai!” set the tone for many unforgettable Lagos evenings this year. As collaborators, Olamide and Wizkid have always been smooth. Since their first collaboration “Omo To Shan” at the early stages of their careers, they’ve managed to complement each other’s specific disciplines – Olamide a seasoned rapper, Wiz a charming singer – while keeping their messaging in sync. “Kai!” proves that great collaborators can get more exciting with age. – O.A.

Sarafina the Great, ‘DJ Sara Freestyle’

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No one sounds like Sarafina the Great. On “DJ Sara Freestyle (Décalé Yorobo),” she grafts the flex and bravado of rap—talking her shit with total conviction—onto a classic coupé-décalé engine, a combination that feels audacious and obvious at once. Built from a studio improvisation of genre key words, the track calls back to choreography cues from coupé-décalé legend DJ Arafat, flipping them into something newly diasporic. Raised between Côte d’Ivoire and the U.S., Sarafina moves easily between English bars and Ivorian rhythm, reviving a sound many felt stalled after Arafat’s death. * – A.T.*

MaWhoo, GL Ceejay, Thukuthela feat. JAZZWRLD, ‘Bengicela’

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Following the astounding success of their single “Uzizwa Kanjan,” singers MaWhoo, GL_Ceejay and Thukuthela compounded their prowess again to give the world “Bengicela.” The anthemic track is an earnest prayer for mercy and wisdom from a higher power led by soaring, heartfelt vocals over a dynamic 3-Step rhythm crafted by JAZZWRLD (formerly known as Jazzworx). “Bengicela ungilalele nami/Ngiyazi sibaningi/Sikhalela kuwe,” the talented MaWhoo pleads in isiZulu on the hook, translating to “please hear me too/I know there’s a lot of us/crying out to You.” It resonates like a hymn. – M.M.

Gyakie, ‘Sankofa’

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This was a great year for Ghanaian songbird Gyakie. Amongst many accomplishments like making the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list, she finally released her debut album *After Midnight, *featuring the standout single “Sankofa.” It finds Gyakie as a yearner, working to get the object of her desire to see the wonderful possibilities ahead of them. The song unfolds like a love letter, building up its case to a satisfying climax. “Why do you want to leave when you know it’s you?” she sings. “Sankofa,” which found instant success on TikTok – complete with its own dance – captures the longing that ruled the zeitgeist this year. – O.A.

Triangle Des Bermudes, ‘Charger’

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With “Charger,” Paris banlieues trio Triangle des Bermudes became a phenomenon almost overnight. Produced by Carlos Monsta, “Charger” finds MC Yoshi, Mauvais Djo, and Kokosvoice delivering a kinetic club record built on urgency, repetition, and collective release. The song detonated at Yardland, a Paris-based rap festival, where an ecstatic crowd swarmed the group’s small stage. It then leapt from Paris dance floors to Abidjan and New York through viral clips that captured its raw momentum. That energy traveled fast: “Charger” racked up nearly 130 million streams across YouTube and Spotify, its war-ready chants and video-game references (Call of Duty looms large) inviting little interpretation. Some dubbed it a “new Marseillaise,” a claim underscored when France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces co-opted the track for a Bastille Day TikTok. It reads less like a song than a rallying cry. * – A.T.*

Tyla, ‘Chanel’

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Tyla’s It-Girl attitude is on magnitudinous display across “Chanel,” less adulation of the classic fashion house and more a statement of how luxuriously she sees herself. On a beat stacked with snaps and claps, crisp pauses, and breezy synths, Tyla’s girlish vocals are at their most playful. “I’m a big dawg, baby,” she insists boldly. “Self-made bitch, yeah, you ain’t upgrade me/Waistline crazy, mandem chase me/Say you wan’ see me, where you gon’ take me?” The incessant hook may be most catchy, but the whole song is the ultimate show of the young star’s gangster. –M.C.

Rema, ‘Baby (Is It a Crime)’

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“Baby (Is It a Crime)” is Rema’s first solo single since the success of his second album, Heis, and it’s uber cool and nonchalant compared with the frenetic, brooding album. Fans had been clamoring for the Sade-sampling song since he teased a snippet last November. The full version finds Rema at his sensual best. “I just had the biggest debut in my career,” he told* Rolling Stone *the day it dropped. Indeed, the song earned nearly 3 million streams on its first day. —M.C

Tems, ‘Big Daddy’

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On the EP, Love Is a Kingdom, dropped as a surprise in November, Nigerian Grammy-winner Tems gave herself room to get a lot of things off her chest. On “Big Daddy”, the instantly-infectious standout track, Tems takes on naysayers and fake supporters, represented as a single person from her past who circles back only to demand adulation. “Ooh, you may look like you’re breathing, but you’re dead to me,” she sings, hurriedly. “You thought you could trap me, but I left you behind.” Armed with a steady uptempo groove and biting, sarcastic lyrics, Tems is unafraid to name her problem and address it head on. – O.A.

Amaarae, ‘Girlie-Pop!’

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Ghanaian-American shapeshifter Amaarae broke barriers with her Black Star single “Girlie-Pop!” and its steamy, queer-coded music video. Following the erotic “S.M.O.” (for “Slut Me Out”), “Girlie-Pop!” ushered in this new era of Amaarae’s powerfully, honing a familiar balance of softness, urgency, and cleverly sensual songwriting with a righteously sapphic arc. Using music as an extended allegory, she coos, “I want you to take me from the top/Kiss me ’til I tell you, ‘Make it soft’/One of us gotta bring this to a stop/Flip positions, switching genres ’til you make it pop.”* –M.C. *

Ayra Starr, ‘Hot Body’

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In July, Ayra Starr released “Hot Body,” a sultry, twinkling striptease of a song she’d been previewing from behind DJ booths. It caught fire for the rest of the year. She giddily performed it early on with Coldplay, whom she toured with this summer. Before she took the stage, Chris Martin, who eagerly accompanied her on acoustic guitar, told the crowd, “This is Ayra Starr from Nigeria. She is going to be the world’s biggest pop star soon, and she has a new song called ‘Hot Body,’ which I think is amazing.” —M.C.

Rema, ‘Kelebu’

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Rema sounds fully at ease at the peak of his powers on “Kelebu,” a percussive anthem that treats repetition as release. Built on blaring horns that feel lifted from HBCU homecoming, the song folds Caribbean bounce and Central African echoes into something both chaotic and controlled. “Kelebu,” chanted until it turns hypnotic, works less as lyric than as signal — music engineered for bodies before meaning. Some critics dismissed its sparseness as pure party fuel, missing the point. “Kelebu” understands the logic of the dance floor, where language dissolves and rhythm leads. Rema has traced it back to school parties soundtracked by Caribbean and Francophone records no one needed to translate. * –A.T.*

Aya Nakamura, Joé Dwèt Filé, ‘Baddies’

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Aya Nakamura doesn’t chase momentum; she engineers it. On “Baddies,” the French-Malian pop queen links with Haitian kompa master Joé Dwèt Filé for one of the year’s most inevitable collaborations. Fresh off the global reach of “4 Kampé II,” Dwèt Filé meets Aya at full stride, their chemistry folding zouk, pop, and rap into an instantly sticky chorus made for warm nights and open windows. A standout from Aya’s latest album* Destinée*, the track capped an extended victory lap that included a Female Artist of the Year win at Les Flammes and another run at the top of the charts. It isn’t reinvention — it’s confirmation. Aya still knows exactly what a hit sounds like, and how to make it travel. * – A.T.*

Amaarae, ‘S.M.O.’

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“S.M.O” marked a reincarnation for the ever-cool Amaarae. Early this year, she released “S.M.O” ahead of her dizzyingly powerful third album, Black Star, an ambitious experimentation with global, Black dance music. Propulsive and full of sweaty energy, “S.M.O” explicitly commands itself to be played in the middle of a heated party. Here, Amaarae managed to combine the vim of the electronic scene with Ghanaian highlife, R&B influences, a zouk-inspired melody and her signature, piercing vocals. –K.M., O.A.

Bien, ‘All My Enemies Are Suffering’

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With a title like “All My Enemies Are Suffering,” Bien’s biggest song of 2025 always felt destined for greatness. The song’s heart-thumping isukuti drums, the Sauti Sol alum’s rich vocals, playful guitar licks courtesy of Godwin Ufot and that unforgettable hook took East Africa by storm this year, and its grip is still firm on the region. Thinking even bigger, Bien recently released a remix pack gathering artists from around the world, including Kenya’s Khaligraph Jones, Breeder LW, and Original Stinger, as well as Nigerian acts Tobe Nwigwe, Yemi Alade, and Phyno, plus Colombian singer Jerau. – K.M.

Davido feat. Omah Lay ‘With You’

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A few days after its April release, Davido’s 5ive album closer “With You” quickly became a standout and fan favorite. Driven by catchy vocals underpinned by a mesmerizing guitar loop and neon synths, the track exemplifies the current soundscape of Nigerian popular music; contemporary with hints of nostalgia. Davido cites Bright Chimieze’s highlife hit “Because Of English” and Alpha Blondy’s “Sweet Fanta Diallo” (both originally released in the 1980s) as inspirations for the widely popular track. From viral TikTok moments to stages worldwide — where the Nigerian megastar interpolates it with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” — the Omah Lay-assisted, Tempoe-produced track soundtracked many gatherings this year. It’s not surprising that Spotify recently revealed it to be 2025’s most streamed song in Nigeria.* – M.M.*

Adekunle Gold feat. Yinka Ayefele and Adewale Ayuba, ‘Many People’

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Though much of Adekunle Gold’s sixth album *Fuji *is phenomenal, “Many People” quickly stood apart as the standout ode to nostalgia, innovation, and individuality the LP was made to be. On the surface, it’s a joyous flip of 57-year-old Yinka Ayefele’s gospel tungba hit “Mi O Mo J’orin Lo,” but soon after X users like Nigerian journalist Kayode Badmus noted that fuji artist Adewale Ayuba sang the titular refrain first — on a song literally called “Fuji Music” — Gold had united the two artists in a video for the song with a new verse from Ayuba. The video captures the song’s bright energy and optimistic urgency, while toasting to the green-screen finesse of fuji clips of yore. In his first performance of the song back in October, Gold turned Spotify’s Greasy Tunes Café upside-down — especially when, to the crowd’s surprise, Yinka Ayefele rolled onstage to perform with Gold from his electric wheelchair. *–M.C. *

Ciza feat. Jazzworx & Thukuthela, ‘Isaka (6AM)’

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Earlier in the year Afropop vocalist Ciza (pronounced scissor) pivoted toward being behind the decks. He does both on pulsating debut 3-Step single “Isaka” with JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela, a result of this unexpected detour, which expanded the newly minted DJ/producer’s universe beyond the shores of South Africa. It’s fitting for the song, whose hook translates to the universal behavior of staying up at a club or party until 6 a.m. Carefully orchestrated dance remixes, including one with Tems and Omah Lay, further catapulted the track to global status. You can find crowds in Lagos’ singing Temilade’s verse word for word. – M.M.

Theodora feat. Jeez Suav, ‘Kongolese Sous BBL’

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Theodora’s “Kongolese Sous BBL” sounds like a parade crashed into the club. Built on bombastic, bouyon percussion, the track pulls from everywhere she’s lived — drum and bass, Creole folk traditions, Caribbean club music, fragments gathered across Greece, Congo, and Réunion Island. The energy hits immediately, but the real subversion is lyrical: her blunt, hilarious songwriting turns bodily excess into power, pleasure, and punchline all at once (“If I don’t make ends meet… it’s because of my ass,” she sings in French about her modest derrière). Produced by her brother Jeez Sauve, the song helped make Theodora the most-streamed Francophone female artist across platforms in 2025, earning diamond certification, sold-out Zénith shows, and Best New Artist at Les Flammes. She isn’t bending French pop’s rules — she’s blowing them open.* – A.T.*

Shallipopi, ‘Laho’

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Shallipopi is one of the coolest street pop acts to emerge from Nigeria in recent years, making a splash with his 2023 hit “Cast,” featuring Odumodublvck, and repping for his hometown of Benin City on Rema’s “Benin Boys.” He created another moment with “Laho,” the laid-back anthem that took over African social media with the empowering bars, “Minister of enjoyment/Intercontinental/Monumental/We go live forever.” Elsewhere, much of the song is performed in Bini, his local language, reflecting a commitment to self and home before the world domination that followed. From a guest slot in the middle of British rapper Central Cee’s show at London’s O2 arena to inspiring global sports stars to dance along, Shallipopi enlisted many deputies in his enjoyment ministry this year. —M.C

Moliy, Shenseea, Skillibeng, Silent Addy, ‘Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)’

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The “Shake It to the Max (FLY)” remix didn’t just introduce Moliy to the world as a leading lady; it rearranged the global dance floor around her. In its molten Afro-dancehall power met with haunting vocal stacks and a bassline that could cause sweat on contact, the song moves like an incantation. The features count — Shenseea’s poise, Skillibeng’s menace, Silent Addy’s precision — but it’s Moliy’s whispered, possessive refrain that seizes control, commanding bodies to bend, drop, and let loose. With the original track dating back to last December and trekking the globe through a now-viral dance, the remix helped it become a cultural event: it scaled Billboard Global 200 as well as Spotify and TikTok’s Songs of Summer lists, earned more than 367 million Spotify streams and 200 million YouTube views, and made Moliy the first Ghanaian artist to perform at the BET Awards. Once restocking shelves in Florida, she’s now made a hot, hypnotic, and unavoidable smash.* – A.T.*