Nigerian artist collaborations you should not sleep on

May 6, 2021May 6, 2021 Editor

Nigerian artists are doing great at home and abroad with their collaborations. There is a popular saying that whenever a person wakes up is their morning. That is why you should not be too unhappy that you have been missing out on these gems.

There are many reasons why good songs or collaborations go unnoticed. “Music is 20 per cent talent and 80 per cent marketing,” music business mogul Kenny Ogungbe says. The reason you hear a lot of songs is because they have been carefully curated for you.

It is very interesting that you may not realise it. But most of the songs you vibe to were not particularly your choice. However, that is the thing with music. The rhythms are made to stay stuck in your head. It is why after listening to “I gat my peaches out in Georgia,” you hum it all day. In case you live in the stone age, that is one of the lines in Peaches by Justin Bieber.

Everybody is on to the new beats, the popular sounds, the Amapianos and the Afrobeats/Afropop. There are some who have also caught the Alté bug. The sound particularly resonates more with Gen Z and Millenials folks. Alas, it is important to note that this article has little do with genre.

Nigerian music to the world

Depending on your taste in music, this can be a hit or miss. But the suggestion would be to keep an open mind. Here are some great Nigerian collaborations you should check out.

1. Burna Boy X Fall Out Boy — Sunshine Riptide

Burna Boy is the man of the moment. From gaining mainstream international recognition to winning a Grammy as a solo artiste. Burna Boy is doing the work and it is beautiful to see. Although, a lot of his songs and collaborations have gone viral, this one had gone mostly unnoticed.

This may be partly because Fall Out Boy is an American rock band, a genre not very popular in this parts. However, it does not stop the fact that it is a great collaboration. It also shows off the versatility of our superstar, Burna Boy.

The song which was released in January 2018, peaked at number 11 the Billboard music chart two months after. The collaboration was definitely a good one.

2. Bellah X Colors — Evil Eye

This collaboration involved a YouTube music channel, Colors. The channel, which is a great place to find new emerging artists, collaborates with acts from around the world. This time they worked with British/Nigerian Bellah.

Bellah is not yet mainstream and it is not known if she will ever be. However, this particular sound has brought her a lot of attention recently. Colors described the song as a “soulful performance”. Since it premiered on the show on April 15 this year, it has gotten almost 500,000 views.

3. Enny X Jorga Smith X Colors (Remix) — Peng Black Girls

This Peng black girl of Nigerian heritage raised in London is embodying grime and rap music. The song’s original video, which features Amia Brave, shows off her culture in colourful Nigerian attires. However, her collaboration with Jorga Smith and Colors shows off her raw talent.

In a clime where everyone wants to do Afrobeat or Afropop, it is great that this woman is sticking to her guts. The original, which has so far garnered over 2 million views on YouTube, is peaking at almost 11 million on the Colors channel.