In 2019, the Nigerian music industry was at its peak. Wizkid and Beyoncé worked on the Grammy award-winning single, ‘Brown Skin Girl, ‘ which is off the Lion King: The Gift album. The music project also featured other notable Nigerian musicians such as Mr. Eazi, Tekno, Yemi Alade, and Grammy award winner, Burna Boy.
While Afrobeat was attempting to take over the world, other genres such as Alte, rap, and R&B were doing impressive numbers across various streaming platforms and had a gainful number of listeners in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. 2019 was the peak period of Afrobeat; it is also often seen as the final year before the transition that happened globally due to the coronavirus pandemic that would emerge the following year.
In this article, eelive.ng will discuss how the Afrobeat’s freshman class of 2019 made a statement through their music, creativity, and personality. They didn’t come to only make up numbers and fade into obscurity; the youngsters made a name for themselves and have continued to thrive on the global stage. As a matter of fact, several of them have gone on to receive international recognition.
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Who were the top students from the 2019 Afrobeat’s freshman class?
Naira Marley
Before the emergence of Asake in 2022, Naira Marley had parents, guidance, and religious bodies question their authority in 2019. The president of the Marlian gang had the streets on lock for most of 2019, although his music project, Lord of the Lamba, was surprisingly a flop in December of 2019. Naira Marley was undoubtedly the best freshman to matriculate.
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What made him So Special?
It is important to note that Naira Marley didn’t start his music career in 2019. In December 2017, he released the Olamide and Lil Kesh-assisted single “Issa Goal”, which became the theme song for the Super Eagles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Naira Marley had experienced modest notoriety in 2018; however, his big break came in 2019. It was almost impossible not to know who Marley was at the time; babies and adults alike were unapologetically dancing ‘Soapy’ on the streets of several states in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
Marley was that influential in 2019, and he is the head boy of the freshman class of 2019, according to eelive.ng.
Tems
eelive.ng reported that Tems became the first Nigerian female musician to win a Grammy award in February 2025. She has worked with various international musicians, such as Drake and Future; however, it was in 2019 that Tems first introduced herself to the world with the moderately received Alte song, ‘Try Me.‘
From ‘Try Me’ to Grammy Winner
Tems: From ‘Try Me’ To Triumph- Steps to becoming a Grammy winner
Tems’ voice warms the soul and serves as the energy that propels a frail mind to pursue the beauty of life. Her style of music specifically appeals to the mental acuity of her listeners, while others want their fans to dance and hop around. Tems’ music puts you in a reflective mood.
Her earlier releases, such as ‘Looku looku’ and ‘Mr Rebel’, spoke about how her love interest isn’t a conventional type of man. While both songs are about love and romance, the former speaks about how her love interest stares at every woman, while the latter is a song composed for her crush or ex-lover who doesn’t follow the rules, hence, ‘Mr Rebel.’
After Tems made her presence known in 2019, she would go on to release her debut music project, For Broken Ears EP, in 2020.
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Love is a Kingdom: Tems Reminds Everyone Why She’s a Grammy Winner
Rema
When Rema was first introduced in 2019, his style and charisma differed from those of his contemporaries. He wore dangling earrings, oversized necklaces, and baggy clothing; his style would eventually become prevalent among Gen Zs.
Give credit where it’s due, Rema was born in 2000, and kick-started a new regime in the Nigerian music industry. Rema didn’t only bring his music talent, he also showcased his fashion sense and charismatic personality. He was even dubbed the leader of the new school and often compared to Afrobeats flagbearer, Wizkid.
You might be interested in understanding the incredible creativity of Rema, read below:
Fireboy
‘I’m getting jealous, don’t want to see you with anybody,’ reads the lyrics to Fireboy’s debut single, ‘Jealous’. Although Fireboy was the quietest member of Olamide Baddo’s short-lived group, YBNL Mafia, which also included Limerick and Davolee, he was the only one who received a long-term contract, becoming the most successful among them.
In 2019, Fireboy released his debut studio album, Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps, which is one of the best music projects that emerged during the year. On his music project, Fireboy didn’t feature anyone.
Read more about his debut album below:
Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps: What Made Fireboy’s Debut Album So Special
In 2020, Fireboy DML gained media coverage in Nigeria when his hit single “Champion” was used by FC Bayern Munich for their UEFA Super Cup celebrations. His song “Scatter” from his debut album Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps was included in the FIFA 21 game soundtrack.
Further, in November 2022, his song, “Coming Back For You,” was included on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
Fireboy DML received a plaque for having sold out the Royal Albert Hall in 2025.
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Joeboy
The lover boy of the Freshman class of 2019, Joeboy is another notable personality that we need to talk about.
‘Baby’ of the Class
In early 2019, Joeboy recorded his hit single “Baby” after receiving a beat created by Dëra the Boy and sent to him by producer BeatsbyKO.
According to reports gathered by eelive.ng, the musician wrote and recorded the song in just 45 minutes, trying out several choruses before finalizing the hook. When Mr. Eazi heard the track, he shared it on social media, building anticipation ahead of its release on 1 March 2019. With support from emPawa Africa, Joeboy utilized a cost-effective visualizer to promote “Baby”, which played a crucial role in the song’s viral success. He credited the initiative with equipping him to effectively market his music and maintain his independence.
“Baby” garnered 20 million streams across YouTube and Spotify in 2019. The visualizer music video for “Baby” surpassed 31 million views on YouTube. Joeboy released the Killertunes-produced track “Beginning” on 15 August 2019, where its accompanying visualizer music video accumulated 23 million views on YouTube.
In the video, he finds himself developing feelings for a friend whose advances he had initially dismissed. Followed by this, he released his debut extended play, Love & Light, in November 2019 by emPawa Africa. It was supported by the singles “Baby” and “Beginning”.
The EP also contains the Mayorkun-assisted track “Don’t Call Me” and “All for You”.
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Unsung Heroes of the Class of 2019: Honourable Mentions
Of course, it isn’t just the aforementioned musicians who released songs in 2019, but also other sensational artistes made their presence known in their own unique manner.
In 2019, Ckay emerged with his smash hit, ‘Way’. CKay has personally dubbed his sound “Emo-afrobeat”, to note his focus on emotional and romantic lyricism in his music.
Alte artiste, Wurld also had an impressive 2019. Wurld co-wrote the hit song “Blow My Mind” by Davido featuring Chris Brown in 2019.
