It’s less than a week until Valentine’s Day and dispatch riders are already shaking in anticipation of the stress they’ll face carrying flowers all over the place. With all the lovers scrambling through their PiggyVest looking for money to celebrate the day a lot of babies will be made, we decided to help in our little way with music suggestions to set the mood. But there’s a twist. This time, we’re looking at some of the best love song covers made by Nigerian artists.
Let’s get into it.
1. Hello — Omawunmi (Originally by Adele)
Remember when Adele dropped this song in 2015 and we all thought the world would end? Everyone we knew was out in the streets shouting, not singing (there’s a difference), “Hello from the other siiideeee”. While most of us were trying and failing shamelessly to hit Adele’s notes, Omawunmi came out of nowhere to remind us that she’s a badass vocalist. Her cover of the song was made even better by the addition of some reggae elements. It was an actual bop..
2. Please Forgive Me — Johnny Drille (Originally by Bryan Adams)
You know how you follow an artist for a long time, patiently waiting for the rest of the world to catch up to their insane talent? This has been our relationship with Johnny Drille. While his album Before We Fall Asleep has enough love songs to turn even the most anti-valentine spirit into a believer, his cover of Bryan Adams’ haunting and deeply sad Please Forgive Me is another song that deserves a spot on your love playlist.
3. Thinking Out Loud — Funbi (Originally by Ed Sheeran)
There’s a high chance that Ed Sheeran consulted with a babalawo before making this song because there’s no logical reason as to why it still slaps as it does after all these years. While we love Oluwasheeran’s version, there’s something about Funbi’s cover and his voice that just makes us swoon. Maybe it’s the Yoruba demon factor or just the fact that we want him to serenade (If you get it, you get it) us with this song. Either way, Funbi’s cover of Thinking Out Loud is an elite tune.
4. Sade — Adekunle Gold (Originally by One Direction)
Yes, we know it’s not an actual cover but that won’t stop us from adding it to this list? It’s pretty wild that a lot of Nigerians would probably listen to One Direction’s Story Of My Life today and start scratching their heads at how familiar it sounds. Why? Well, years ago, before Adekunle Gold became AG Baby, he recorded an afrobeat version of the One Direction song, changed the lyrics, but maintained the melody. Now that One Direction is no more, the chances of AG Baby performing this song with them are next to none and that is upsetting us and our homegirls.
5. Shape Of You — Waje (Originally by Ed Sheeran)
Another Ed Sheeran song, another cover by a badass Nigerian vocalist. Waje doesn’t play when it comes to this singing thing, and we know this. Taking everyone by surprise at the time, Waje dropped a cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You and honestly, it had us ready to declare our love and receive the airing of our lives. If you haven’t listened to this cover, then, omo, something is wrong.
