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Once in a blue moon, Afropop artists take breaks from singing about love, sex, money and parties to give us Christmas songs. After scanning through the few we could find, we compiled a solid list of nine for your listening pleasure this festive season.
Keresimesi — Skales feat. Wizkid
Coming off the buzz of Mukulu, Skales released Keresimesi with Wizkid under Empire Mates Entertainment in November 2011. In his I’m-better-than-most-rappers bag, Skales flowed smoothly on Sarz’s production and dropped three verses, while Wizkid’s chorus emphasised on eating Christmas food till he could barely move.
Jingle Bell — Tunde Ednut feat. Ice Prince, JJC, Davido & Lynxxx
In the early 2010s, when most Nigerians juggled between free music sites for access to their favourite songs, Tunde Ednut was an upcoming musician. His most notable song, Jingle Bell, came out in November 2011. “Everywhere I go, it’s jingle, jingle bell, bell,” Ednut repeated throughout the song. On the verse spaces in between, Ice Prince, JJC, Davido and Lynxxx shine with enough Christmas rhymes, puns and punchlines to make anyone merry.
Ovation Red Carol Theme Song
Dele Momodu’s Ovation International made one of its greatest contributions to Afropop with the evergreen Christmas song that brought top artists together in 2011. The 2011 Ovation Red Carol theme song featured Wizkid, Sir Shina Peters, Yemi Alade, Waje, Ice Prince, Chidinma, Eva Alordiah, fuji music star, Malaika, and more, with late OJB Jezreel on production. It’s not every day we get an all-star lineup performing an eight-minute long Christmas jam.
See Mary, See Jesus — DJ Kaywise feat. Olamide
When the Shaku Shaku sound was still the toast of the mainstream, DJ Kaywise grabbed Olamide for a club banger that alluded to Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus Himself. “See Mary, see Jesus,” as Olamide sang, is a figurative expression he likened to getting unexpected bank alerts. This is a great go-to for when surprise Christmas gifts begin to roll in. It was a jam in 2018; it’s still a jam now.
Jolly Christmas — DOTTi the Deity
On December 15, 2019, DOTTi put out Jolly Christmas, in which he wrote a letter to his babe to convince her to spend the holiday with him. From buying the same fabric to wear on Christmas Day to the general feeling of excitement, DOTTi brought all the nuance of the festive period to life on this song. Highly recommended.
Christmas Sometin — Simi
Christmas Sometin was Simi’s holiday gift to her fans in 2022. It’s a soft, jumpy dance record with moody guitar strings and logdrums wrapped with her infectious tiny voice. This song is the perfect background music for when you unwrap gifts or pour a glass of festive wine this Christmas. You can even hold your lover’s waist and dance to it.
Merry Christmas, Darling — Timi Dakolo feat. Emeli Sandé
In 2019, Timi Dakolo made an 11-track Christmas album. Its opening track, Merry Christmas, Darling, about long-distance lovers connecting to each other emotionally, features Scottish singer Emeli Sandé. Together, they made a beautiful and cozy record suitable for both family listening and romantic activities. If you’re seeing your partner this Christmas after a long time, here you go.
Merry Christmas — Waje
In a mix of English, Pidgin English and Yorùbá, Waje soulfully narrates the birth of Jesus, the celebrant of the day. In a perfect Nigeria, this song produced by TY Mix would’ve been an icon for the bubbling Christmas period. But regardless of the situation and time we find ourselves in, Merry Christmas remains a groove — the needed delulu of a perfect Christmas we all wish to have.
Hope We See This Christmas — 234rnb
234rnb is a community of new generation Nigerian R&B artists. In less than four minutes, members, RnB Princess, Givens and Emk the Genie put butterflies in our bellies with their dream-like lyrics about a love that’s gone but the memories still linger around. If you miss someone, this 2023 drop may make you call them. I hope the person picks up with the same energy.
234rnb’s just released four-track EP titled Christmas < U will get you in a full Christmas mood.
