Can you believe we’re already three months into 2022? It feels like just a few weeks ago, we were making New Year resolutions and plans to conquer 2022, and now, we have nine months left. As we crossover into a new quarter of the year, we’ve decided to look back at some of the hits that had us in a chokehold from January to March.
1. Omo Ope — Asake and Olamide
Arguably the biggest song of the year, Asake came out of nowhere and totally turned 2022 on its head with his smash hit, Omo Ope. Featuring the hardest working Nigerian rapper, Olamide, it’s hard not to fall in love with this song on your first listen. The backup vocals singing “Mo saare f’owo mi sh’aye” blows our minds every single time.
2. Finesse — Pheelz and BNXN
We’ve begged Nigerian musicians to leave Folake alone, but they’ve put cement in their ears. Pheelz and BNXN continue the Folake train with Finesse and honestly, we’re not mad at it. This song reminds us that it’s okay to be broke. As a matter of fact, it encourages you to own it with your chest. If you think this song is a smash hit, wait until you hear the live version with this sick backup choir.
3. IDG — Asa and Wizkid
Years ago, Wizkid tweeted about wanting to do a song with Asa and now we’re here. Manifestation is real, folks! This is one collaboration (and version of Asa) we didn’t see coming, but now that it’s here, we can’t help but wonder why it took so damn long. Can we get Asa on Wizkid’s next album?
4. FINAL CHAMPION — Cruel Santino
You know a song is a banger when you forget your morals and start screaming the lyrics “Werey touch me” out loud. Dropping the follow-up to his alté classic, Mandy & The Jungle, Cruel Santino pulled up with a new name, new album and updated sound on Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN. Even though several tracks stand out from the long-ass 21-tracked album, we doubt any of them come close to this rave starter.
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5. Don’t Call Me — Lil Kesh and Zinoleesky
We love a good comeback. Remember when Lil Kesh had us all in a shoki-hold back in the day? This guy was the reason Olamide banned Don Jazzy from the mainland and then he just disappeared for a while. He’s finally made a big comeback with the Zinoleesky-assisted, Don’t Call Me and we’re currently rinsing this song like there’s no tomorrow.
6. Hate Me — Olamide and Wande Coal
Olamide and Wande Coal take another stab at collaborating after killing us with Who You Epp and boy oh boy does this joint work. Olamide pulls up with angst and flows, while Wande Coal taps into his inner Michael Jackson for a chorus we’re sure we’ll be singing for a very long time.
7. Obsessed — FAVE
How do you follow up a song that becomes a national anthem? Well, if you’re FAVE, you go ahead and drop an EP filled with bops. After stealing our hearts and vocal cords with Baby Riddim, FAVE makes a comeback with Obsessed
8. Baddest Boy (Remix) — Skiibii and Davido
One thing about Skiibii, this man will always rise from the de—never mind. Scoring an OBO feature always guarantees a hit, and his song Baddest Boy has become a fixture on our playlists, IG stories and dancefloors. But wait, what is special about Nigerian koboko straight from Magodo?
9. Streets — Dwin The Stoic and Rhaffy
Not Dwin The Stoic out here trying to get us booed up at the very start of a new year. Do we agree with Dwin’s message about wanting to leave the streets? No. But does Streets and Dwin’s voice make us want to slow dance and do cute lovey-dovey stuff? Well, yes, definitely yes.
10. WITH YOU — Khaid
The Gen Z era of Afrobeats is fully thriving and taking over social media and one of its biggest stars of the moment is Khaid. You may not know the title of this song or the artist’s name, but we’re sure you’ve heard WITH YOU before — the song is everywhere.
ALSO READ: We Ranked the Best Adekunle Gold Songs
12. Commander — Blaqbonez
Is it really a Blaqbonez song if it’s not about fornication? The rate at which this man is going, our sex playlist will be 70% Blaqbonez, 20% Rema and 10% Boyz II Men (for variety). Commander once again proves to us that Blaqbonez has found his niche as an artist and we can’t wait to see what R18 song he drops next.
13. No Wahala (Remix) — 1da Banton, Tiwa Savage and Kizz Daniel
Artists often turn to remixes for two reasons: to make a song blow or to make an already blown song blow harder. Yes, we know that’s a mouthful (no pun intended), but it is what it is. After blowing up on TikTok thanks to these James Brown videos, 1da Banton enlisted the help of Tiwa Savage and Kizz Daniel for a remix of his song, No Wahala. Could Tiwa’s verse have been a little bit longer? Yes, but that cute dance she did at the end of the video lives rent-free in our heads.
14. Calm Down — Rema
After the release of his debut album, Rave and Roses, now more than ever, we’re convinced that no one is doing it like our boy, Rema. Serving as the second single ahead of his album, Calm Down is Rema at his peak, making us swoon with his melodies. This guy doesn’t play when he says, “Another banger”.
15. Italy — BNXN and Blaq Diamond
At this point, we’re fully convinced that BNXN has washed his mouth with the help of one baba because why are all his songs back-to-back hits? Since Feeling and Outside dropped last year, BNXN has refused to take his foot off our neck. And to be fair, we don’t mind a little choking ear and dear. Do we understand all the lyrics? No. But the song is still on fire regardless.
CONTINUE READING: We Ranked the Best Nigerian Albums/EPs of the Year
