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Top 10 African Songs

It's been ages since I've written a Top 10 post (my last one was Top 10 Britney Spears Songs back in 2017!). So today I thought I'd do another one sharing my Top 10 African songs. 

They are my favourites across different countries and genres. :)  

 

1. Mr Eazi and Simi- Doyin (Nigeria)

Nigerian singer Mr Eazi (who is known for founding Banku Music, a mixture of Nigerian and Ghanaian music) collaborated with fellow Nigeran singer Simi on the single Doyin, in August 2019.

It's my favourite song  of both singers and was a Weekly Music Video in September 2019. Watch it here:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/09/weekly-music-video_25.html

 

2. Bey T- Wololo (Kenya) 

Kenyan rapper and singer Bey T (who also has Ethiopian heritage) released the single Wololo in May 2019. It's a catchy song that sticks in my head.

Wololo was a Weekly Music Video in June 2019: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/06/weekly-music-video_26.html

 

3. TID feat. Jay Moe- Zeze (Tanzania)

TID (real name Khaled Mohammed) is a Tanzanian Bongo Flava singer and rapper. I first came across his song Zeze (one of his most well known singles) on the Putumayo Global Soul compilation album (2003) years ago. The rapper on the song is Jay Moe.

I also featured Zeze as a Weekly Music Video, back in January 2014 (12 years ago now!): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/01/weekly-music-video_29.html 

 
 
4. Kaïssa- Nika Pata Lambo (Cameroon)
 
Next, we have Nika Pata Lambo by Cameroonian singer Kaïssa . I am part Cameroonian myself (also English) but I don't tend to listen to a lot of Cameroonian music (mainly Nigerian and Ghanaian really). Perhaps this year I'll listen to more! :)
 
Kaïssa was born in Cameroon and then moved to France, with her family aged 13. She now lives in New York, USA. Her first solo album  was Looking There and was released in 2010.  She has also brought out another album, I Am So Happy (2011) and an EP To dje (2019).
 
Kaïssa's music includes Makossa (a Cameroonian music genre), R'n'B and Afrobeats styles. It's influenced by living in different cultures and mixes contemporary issues with traditional and modern influences.
 
As with TID's Zeze (see above) I first heard Nika Pato Lambo on the Global Soul Album. I'm not sure of the exact release date but I presume it was around 2003.
 
 

 
For more on Kaïssa visit these links: 
 
Official site: https://kaissa.com/ 
 
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaissanyc/
 
 
 
5. Sugarboy feat. Ycee- Chop (Nigeria)

Nigerian singer Sugarboy released the single Chop back in March 2018. It's an Afro-fusion song, a mix of house and Highlife and features Nigerian rapper and singer Ycee.

It was a Weekly Music Video in April 2018: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/04/weekly-music-video_11.html

 

6. Cassper Nyovest feat. Boskasie- Move For Me (South Africa)

South African rapper Cassper Nyovest brought out the single Move For Me in May 2019. It was the 5th single from his 4th album Sweet & Short Deluxe, released in November 2018.

Move For Me is a catchy song, described as a "mid-tempo pop, with Caribbean and reggae influences" and features South African singer Boskasie. It was a Weekly Music Video in November 2019 and I also included it in my 2024 summer post Island Vibes!.

Watch it here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/11/weekly-music-video_27.html


7. Ayra Starr- Control (Nigeria)

Control is one of my favourite songs by Benin born Nigerian singer Ayra Starr. It's from her 2nd album The Year I Turned 21 which was released in May 2024. It wasn't an official single but Ayra uploaded a performance video for the song in September that year.

Control was one of the songs featured in My Favourite Songs of 2024 post. You can see it here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2025/01/favourite-songs-of-2024.html

Or watch directly here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBuYqkvAuVE 

 

And here's the official lyric video:

 



8. CKAY feat. Nora Fatehi- IT'S TRUE (Nigeria/Canada)

Nigerian singer and record producer CKay teamed up with Canadian dancer, actress and singer Nora Fatehi for the song IT'S TRUE in 2024. It's from his album EMOTIONS which was released in October that year.

IT'S TRUE wasn't a single but an audio was uploaded to YouTube. It's an Afrobeats/R'n'B song with a mixture of English, Pidgin and Hindi lyrics. I like the relaxed vibes of it.

I featured IT'S TRUE as a Weekly Music Video a year ago: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2025/01/weekly-music-video_22.html

 

9. Tiwa Savage- Wanted (Nigeria)

Wanted was one of the first songs by Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage that I came across. She's one of the most popular Nigeran female singers, along with Yemi Alade. Other rising stars include Ayra Starr (see above) and Tems. 

Wanted is from Tiwa's debut album Once Upon a Time (released in July 2013), although it wasn't a single. A music video came out in May 2014.

The track is an Afropop/Afrobeats song with  reggae influences. It was a Weekly Music Video back in January 2016 (10 years ago now!): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/01/weekly-music-video_27.html

 

10. Tyla- Truth or Dare (South Africa)

South African singer Tyla has had a quick rise to fame in recent years, after her 2023 single Water became an international hit. Truth or Dare is one of my favourite songs of hers. It was released after Water, both being on her debut album TYLA, which came out in March 2024 (a deluxe version TYLA+ was released in October 2024).

Truth or Dare was released as a promotional single in December 2023. It's a mix of the South African genre amapiano, Afrobeats and Western pop and R'n'B. I featured the official visualiser (and later the music video) in my Favourite Songs of 2023 post, which you can see here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2024/01/favourite-songs-of-2023.html

Or watch the music video directly here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKpz-I9EV84 

 

Hope you liked the post! :) Which African songs make your Top 10? 

 

Want more African music? Check out these posts:

East African Singers: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/07/east-african-singers.html

Afropop Round-up 2022-2023: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/11/afropop-round-up-2022-2023.html

South African Boyband (about the group Dey Say): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2025/02/south-african-boyband.html 




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