This was a good year for music globally, but it was also full of good and disappointing surprises. For one, many songs that genuinely embodied the stamina and vibrancy of the region’s sonic landscape did not always come from big-name artists or commercially successful records.
Related: The Majestic New Voices We’ve Fallen in Love With in 2024
As you’ll find in this list, some of the best songs this year came from emerging artists and experimental voices finding their footing in their various industries and creating boundless, daring work. Alongside the rise in emerging voices, this year also saw an uptick in artists reaching to the past for inspiration. It’s been this year where music from the past has also gained deeper appreciation amongst contemporary new releases and reintroduced the greatness of older ones, songs that pointed the way towards music future and songs that reinvigorated its past. Among these being Betty Mpologoma’s famous “Londa E Number Yo”, thanks to the “atakwagala oba omulaba” craze.
And it went deep. A lot of this year’s biggest artists had a good 2 or 3 songs we really struggled this year to pick at least one favorit3 from — and at the more middle level of pop success, there were a ton of artists we’d never heard from before (or hadn’t heard from in a while) who made their presence known in particularly memorable fashion.
This list highlights a dipperful of worthwhile tracks from the ocean of music released this year and songs we couldn’t get over. The top of my list is big-statement songs, ones that had repercussions beyond how they sound. Here is a cruise through what 2024 sounded like for one avid listener.
Ruger & BNXN – “BAE BAE”
Serving as the lead single from their joint project RnB, Ruger and BNXN’s “Bae Bae” has solidified its status as one of the year’s biggest hits. Having racked up over 200 million streams across music listening platforms and dominated charts and playlists, one can easily say it has been the “Song of the Year”. The Blaisebeats produced record showcased Ruger and BNXN’s thrilling versatility when it comes to song writing, and their artistic supremacy. With how their joint EP was so successful, we can only hope for even more collaborations from these two kings who’s knack for crafting infectious melodies and memorable lyrics is beyond the horizons. In a year where afrobeats has been shaky, Ruger and BNXN have easily won 2024 thanks to their EP, that housed bangers “Romeo Must Die (RMD),”POE”, and of course “Bae Bae” and the other records on there.
Usher featuring Pheelz – ‘RUIN’
“You ruined me for everybody,” Usher laments over an Afrobeats track produced by Pheelz, who also adds a brief rap. He sings about feeling broken, angry, sleepless and full of regrets — but even in his misery, he humble-brags about all the other women waiting to console him. Offed Usher’s 2024 album “Coming Home”, “Ruin” was really that song!
- Elijah Kitaka, DAWA
A potential Song of the Year contender, thanks to its earworm of a chorus, it was next to impossible not to love this song, DAWA. The second of many of Elijah Kitaka’s offerings this year was released in July. Its catch chorus would go on to make the waves and turn it into a fan favorite; ascending to position number 1 on the Apple Music Top 100 Chart in Uganda and maintaining it for five weeks. It has also since not left the Top 5 till to-date, further showcasing the song’s popularity. It’s visuals has amassed over 1.7Million views. The Daddy Andre produced record would later get a twist with a Remix featuring Bien and Savara.
Odeal – SOH SOH
2024 has seen the realization of Odeal’s artistry, thanks to his sleek Afropop number “Soh-Soh”. The track not only emitted energy but positivity (since it is a celebration of life, love, happiness and a joyful expression of gratitude), coupled with the “Coffee” hit maker’s poignant vocals. The dance routine to “Soh Soh” in itself was a whole craze on social media itself. The track’s infectiousness and popularity was further affirmed, thanks to co-signs from artists like SZA and Victoria Monét.
Victony – EVERYTHING
If there were a crown for the King of samples. It would most definitely go to Victony. For “Everything”, one of the standout singles on his debut studio album, Victony notably sampling “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee.
The riveting blend of Afrobeats with an international influences to create a unique sound did take the world by storm. The track was bolstered by clever writing, soft guitar strings laid over a soft bounce and a dreamy music video. The track served as a portrayal of a finely arranged meeting point of all of Victony’s versatile musical disciplines and talents. It is no wonder it greatly resonated with the audiences.
Chris Brown – “ANGEL NUMBERS / TEN TOES”
Serving as the lead track from Chris Brown’s eleventh studio album, 11:11, the two part song presents Chris’ most vulnerable side as its first half, “Angel Numbers,” presents an emotive, dreamlike acoustic introduction, with Chris Brown seeking healing from mental health pressures. The second half, “Ten Toes,” shifts goal posts to a more hip-hop-influenced sound, where Brown candidly addresses his battles with anxiety. The track impressively performed so well, racking up 10Million streams in its first week of release. The “Angel Numbers / Ten Toes” music video as directed by Jamar Harding was not only dreamy but also delivered a compelling message and poignantly highlighted how Chris Brown’s children have been of importance and played a key part in his healing.
Azawi – MASAVU
February 14th nay have been Azawi’s “Lucky Lucky Day..” (see what I did there?) To bring you up to speed, Azawi has a track titled “Lucky Day” and this was off her sophomore album “Sankofa”. Now back to “Masavu” , the timely release was dropped on Valentine’s Day, just in time to be the perfect anthem to the day that celebrates lovers. Its popularity was also sparked on social media after an AI generated remix featuring the Late Ugandan music icon Mowzey radio surfaced online. “Masavu” topped the Apple Music Top 100 in Uganda for close to a month, peaking at number 6 on Boomplay and Audiomack, and YouTube Music. Its impressive performance is accounted for by over 3.6 Million views on YouTube, 2.4 million streams on Boomplay, 675,000 streams on Spotify, and 200,000 streams on Apple Music, placing it among the most well received music offerings by a Ugandan artist this year.
Chike featuring Mohbad – EGWU
“Egwu” is one of those songs that hit many birds with one stone. From significantly sound tracking the moves of revelers while on the dance floor, to honoring the legacy of Mohbad (who sadly passed on last year). Egwu still pays homage to music legend and iconic Congolese singer Awilo Longomba. On the song, Chike references to him crooning “Awilo Longomba Egwu Chike atọ ka kwa”. This saw them later perform at a joint show in Uganda on September 7th at Sheraton. Just like “Happiness”, “Egwu” was released in December 2023, and it’s been a hit all year long, making it among the few tracks from the previous to stand the taste of time. The Afro R&B dance tune garnered over 400,000 TikTok videos featuring “Egwu” shortly after its release. On streaming platforms, it amassed 5.9 million Spotify streams under a month. Chike’s frequent music video director shot and chooped the song’s accompanying music video and this was uploaded on February 29, 2024, accumulating an approximate of 1.4 million views on YouTube in 24 hours of its release. It also paved way for Chike’s 3rd studio album “Son of Chike”.
Tems – LOVE ME JEJE
Reimagining Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 classic “Love Me JeJe” is a soulful, feel-good anthem that sees Tems weave out one of the best tracks to be released this year. The roosty and breezy pristine-feel-goodode of love served as one of the lead promo tracks for the “Try Me” crooner’s debut album ‘Born in the Wild”, hence arching it towards mainstream glory.
Sarz featuring Asake, and Gunna – HAPPINESS
Reasserting himself as one of the greatest and versatile sound engineers in Africa, Nigerian producer Sarz in December lay year teamed up with Grammy-nominated artist Asake and American rapper Gunna and together they delivered “Happiness”. This vibrant masterpiece of a single seamlessly blended Afrobeats and hip-hop elements, crafting feel-good vibes that not only resonated with audiences but also showcased what happens when 3 very talented people come together, a song like “Happiness” is what happens; a cross-cultural collaboration, uniting artists from diverse backgrounds and contributing to the global rise of Afrobeats, tapping into Sarz’s production, combined with Asake’s and Gunna’s diverse singing deliveries. The song was released alongside a colorful and impressive visual as directed by Edgar Esteves, garnered over 14.7 million views on YouTube, reflecting its widespread popularity that also saw it do so well on the Apple Music charts both in Nigeria, in Uganda and other territories where it has since charted for over 55 weeks now.
Ayra Starr – COMMAS
Christened the official 2024 hustler’s anthem, taken off Ayra Starr’s eponymous body of work The Year I Turned 21, ‘Commas’ delivered full realization of the “Bloody Samaritan” singer’s artistry. That’s cuz the sleek Afropop number not only paved way for her sophomore project but also sent music lovers to the dance floor; just like she did with “Rush” back then in 2022. We can also attribute this to the soft, introspective and artfully playfulness with which Starr delivers “Commas”. Ayra’s ability to flip simple existential concerns into impressive, danceable tracks played a vital role on a track buoyed by down-to-earth writing, pop-infused productions and a voice that understands its magic.
Boypee, Hyce and Brown Joel featuring Davido – OGECHI (Remix).
One thing Davido will do is raise the commercial ceiling any song he hops onto and turn it into a big hit. We’ve seen the “Funds” singer do this from way. From Diamond Platnumz’s “Number One”, the Maserati (Remix) with Olakira, Young Jonn’s “Dada (Remix),” and more. The latest one to join the list of songs the Nigerian superstar brought his stimulus was Boypee, Hyce and Brown Joel’s “Ogechi”. Upon release in June on 26th, it quickly spread like a wild fire, amassing 6.76 million on-demand streams and garnered 49.3 million radio impressions in Nigeria. The fact that the “Ogechi” Remix was released the very day of Davido’s highly publicized wedding to long term partner Chioma made it further a sensation as the message in the song resonated with the events happening at the time.
Kendrick Lamar – “NOT LIKE US”
Sparked by the Kendrick-Drake beef and exchange, one could easily argue that Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” arrived as an untimely release as it ultimately led him to victory in the exchange, dominating 2014 as both a searing diss track and a cultural phenomenon. The Mustard-produced anthem paired scathing lyrics with a booming bassline, snapping snares, and an arena-ready organ riff to create a West Coast classic and was dropped 24 hours after the “King Kunta” rapper’s ominous “Meet the Grahams”. The “OV-Hoe” jab was such a standout and has since resonated with fans and this is evident in how “Not Like Us” has been inescapable, playing at clubs, etc.
Rema – “OZEBA”
The 23-year-old Afrorave hitmaker shook up his music catalog this year with a risky exploration into rock. This was evident on his Grammy-nominated sophomore album HEIS On it he growled, barked and pronounced himself as “H-I-M”, all throughout the body of work. “OZEBA” was one of the products of this new musical exploration. He teamed up with London, his frequent producer with whom he’s previously worked on records like “Soundgasm”, “Don’t Leave”, among others. The party starting banger that is OZEBA is characterized by militant snares and frenetic thumping of drums. The LP produced “Another banger” (see what I did there?), titled “BENIN BOYS” on which he pays homage to his home country alongside Shallipopi.
- A Pass – TRUE STORY
On his 3rd studio album, Bagonza, A Pass delves vividly into the theme of unrequited love, longing, and resilience. To further emphasise the narrative, A Pass sang of his commitment to keeping on with the chase as he longs for the love of his life. The Afro R&B record as well as entire body of work is a portrayal to A Pass’ diversity as a singer, song wrtier capable of delivering heart stirring lyrics yet stay an entertainer at the same time. “True Story” as an auditory pleasure was accompanied with a pretty much visually rich yet simple music video to match the song’s production; perfectly complements its lyrical content.
Joshua Baraka, (feat. Simi, Qing Madi & Axon) – “DALILAH II”
Backed by his penchant abilities to weave intricate stories into melodious music, Joshua Baraka once again raised the Ugandan music flag higher with a string of releases, Eps, collaborations, performances (including a SOLD OUT show in London) and music videos. Among the many releases was the singer, recording artiste, and producer’s “Dalilah II”. This was offed the “Growing Pains” EP. It later got a remix with Simi and Qing Madi and this further propelled the song to greater heights. Both acts brought their vulnerability, vocal prowess and deep lyrics to compliment Baraka’s already perfect verses, churning out one of the continent’s standout offerings this year musically.
TitoM, Yuppe and Burna Boy feat. BNYX and Jeriq – “TSHWALA BAM Remix”
Intoxicating Amapiano anthem “Tshwala Bam” by TitoM & Yuppe has been one of the most captivating anthems released this year. Sung primarily in isiZulu, “Tshwala Bam” sparked viral dance challenges upon release. The remix featuring Burna Boy adds even more star power, thanks to the African Giant’s confident, nuanced verse elevating the song’s pan-African appeal. Beyond its immediate popularity, “Tshwala Bam” served as a cultural gateway, showcasing South African street culture’s growing influence on global music and ever growing amapiano sound’s vibrancy that’s characterized by blending soft piano chords, subtle shakers, and traditional log drums; weaving a vibrant narrative around indulgence creating an immersive experience.
Magixx – “OKAY”
Alexander Adelabu, better known as Magixx, released “Okay”, his first single in 2024, which details his struggles with acceptance, stardom, and family issues. While in interview with the Guardian Nigeria, he mentioned that sixty percent of the song was inspired by his mother’s health challenges, but the song resonates with everyone trying to make it. In the first verse, he sings about using weed to ease his mind: “Never see clear when me sober/ So, I must to roll one”. Magixx on this particular record served as a voice of many highlighting everyday struggles, as we reported here. Despite the song rather being one that is deep, it was greatly enjoyed and loved by many lovers of music.
Olivetheboy – “ASYLUM”
Who would know that song about a nuanced portrayal of heartbreak would go on to stand out as one of the biggest earworms of 2024? Well, that’s exactly what describes Olivetheboy’s “Asylum”. Many might recall him from his breakout single “Godsin”. Olivetheboy’s bittersweet narrative and storytelling prowess from the perspective of a disenchanted lover won many of your ears, and so it lands a slot on the list of the best songs of this year. Speaking of charts, “Asylum” achieved significant milestones, reaching number 53 on Ghana’s iTunes Top 100 chart. 2025 can only get better for the Ghanaian youngster.
Acidic Vokoz – “IT’S OKAY”
With a vividly catch chorus, Acidiz Vokoz paved for himself a way into the music industry of Uganda, thanks to his gorgeously lush viral hit song “It’s Okay”. Despite being a track based off heartbreak from a love interest, “It’s Okay” has stood out as one of the most viral singular releases of this year, and also positioned Acidiz Vokoz as one of the exciting new musicians to watch next year. Just like most songs by the fast rising artists, the popularity of the single was sparked with many users of the platform uploading videos and using “It’s Okay” as the background sound/ song of their videos.
Muni Long – “MADE FOR ME”
Muni Long, famed for her hit song “Hrs and Hrs,” this year made an impactful return with heartfelt ballad, “Made For Me”. It would go on to gain viral fame on TikTok thanks to a challenge inspired by the lyric: “Twin, where have you been?” The “twin” in the song is a reference to Muni Long’s son, who served as her muse for the track. With production magic from Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, along with a remix featuring her idol Mariah Carey, “Made for Me” became another major hit, bridging R&B and pop. Beyond its commercial success, the song highlights Muni Long’s exceptional songwriting, soul-stirring vocals, and her remarkable ability to capture the essence of love and emotion.
Diamond Platnumz x Jason Derulo ft. Khalil Harisson and Chley – “KOMASAVA (Remix)”
Diamond Platnumz amazed fans when he teamed up with dynamic American superstar Jason Derulo to deliver the magic that was “Komasava” as each artist brought their unique flair to the project. From the song’s production that infused elements of amapiano brilliance to Jason Derulo and Diamond Platnumz’s star power as each is on top of being a great vocalist a good dancer. The other contributors on the track are Khalil Harisson and Chley who turned the mega song that was “Komasava” into a cultural movement with the remix, making it an even hotter instant hit; not to get me started on the song’s viral Tiktok dance.
Sabrina Carpenter – “ESPRESSO”
Sabrina Carpenter has this year solidified her status as the pop “It Girl”. This is thanks to her vintage yet pop defining visuals. With her breakthrough single “Espresso” anchored by its quirky yet unforgettable chorus, “That’s that me espresso,” the track’s sleek post-disco groove and playful energy has made it one of the year’s biggest hits. Its irresistible charm and widespread appeal propelled Sabrina to the forefront of pop culture, marking her as a superstar in the making. With “Espresso” dominating airwaves and playlists, Sabrina’s meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing down, cementing her as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, as she has also earned our attention as one of the musicians to look watch come 2025.
Aaronx featuring Sheebah – NJALWALA Remix
Aaronx’s breakout in his career as a singer, song writer and performing artist is proof of his unstoppable momentum. His career defining track “Njalwala” elevated his fast rising status when he remixed it with Sheebah increasing its popularity, thanks to its catch music visuals to complement the already ear perfect single. The produced Jacob Beats song has placed him as one of the leading young voices and acts to watch come 2025, for he has the voice, lyrics and aura to match it. He has a song with Winnie Nwagi as well. It I titled “Masanyalaze”. You can find these on his debut EP “My Love”.
Honorary Mentions:
Vinka – All Over You
Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”
Fireboy DML – “Everyday”
Dax Vibez feat. Ava Peace – “Tabbu
Darkoo – “Favorite Girl”
Tyla, Gunna & Skillebeng, “Jump”
Kaboo, Soundlykbb, Tai Dai – “Thursday”
Shenseea – Hit & Run
Album-wise, standout projects have been:
BAGONZA – A Pass Davido
JIGGY FOREVER – YoungJonn
MY LOVE (EP) – Aaronx
RWEBEMBERA – Kohen Jaycee
