Since popping up on our radar with the One Direction-inspired Sade, Adekunle Gold (AG, if you’re cool with him like we are) has grown and evolved into one of the biggest Nigerian music stars, maintaining an insane level of consistency, year after year. But it’s not just his music that has changed. AG also switched up from the cutesy “I want to take you for a walk” lover boy to “Let me put you in 70 positions in one minute” zaddy and we’re here for his style glow up as well. With a sick discography to his name, compiling a list of his best songs was hard AF. But you know what? We did it.
10. Beautiful Night (2016)
We know weddings are expensive AF, but something about this song makes us want to throw a big wedding just so we can dance to, “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s stay up all night, baby. Tomorrow can wait,” while our friends, families and enemies look on with love (and jealousy, of course). An underrated jam on AG’s first album, it reminds us of Sunny Nneji’s Oruka. Valentine is coming, who wants to get married abeg? No money o, just AG baby’s voice and vibes.
9. Jore featuring Kizz Daniel (2020)
AG dropped this banger with Kizz Daniel leading up to the release of his third album, Afropop Vol. 1. Even though Jore eventually got drowned out by his album that year, this song featuring two of our favourite Yoruba loverboys will always have a special place in our hearts.
8. Pick Up (2015)
Remember when AG used to sing about looking for funds and how Otedola has only one head? Yes, we do too. This was a major hustler’s anthem back in the day. Even though AG has moved on to bigger and better things, some of us still sing this every day because, omo, times are hard mehn. Excuse us while we load small credit and dial heaven again.
7. Something Different (2020)
While AG had been teasing an imminent dive into more afropop-oriented songs on his album About 30, this single confirmed the switch. Like we said before, very few artists can evolve genres without missing a beat and Something Different showed us that Adekunle Gold had what it takes. This song is pure flames and we still can’t shake it off nearly two years later.
6. Damn Delilah
It’s not every time “love and harmony”, sometimes, you just have to choose violence. Using Delilah from the bible as his lyrical target, AG drags a love that broke his heart to pieces. Pele, boo. The ironic thing is at the time, our guy didn’t even have hair like that, so him being Samson was just off. We still like the song though.
5. No Forget featuring Simi (2017)
Did you think we were going to forget to add this song? Come on! Before they became one of our favourite social media couples (You people should do and open this marriage, abeg), AG and Simi recorded their first duet together for his debut album, Gold. We’re glad they didn’t forget each other sha because this song wouldn’t have aged well.
4. Ire (2018)
Loverboy AG baby is fire but you see spiritual AG? Mehn, that AG is on another level. Ire reminds us of the chaotic beauty that is Sunday mornings. From waking to your mum ransacking the kitchen and complaining by 6 a.m. to dads starting the car and threatening to leave everyone behind, those days were special. This song was the perfect album opener for About 30 and a major moment of growth that showcased our fave’s vocals and penmanship.
3. It Is What It Is (2021)
Who can forget the time AG reminded us that some people are actually worse than a virus that stopped the world in its tracks? This is AG’s middle finger song and from the very first line, he lets you know he’s not in the mood for any rubbish. This song introduced us to a bolder, edgier AG — an artist willing to take risks not only in his music, but in his life as well. We stan a no-nonsense king.
2. High featuring Davido (2021)
While this collaboration may not immediately strike you as a good move on paper, we haven’t been able to get one day off from this song since it dropped. A perfect blend of amapiano and Afropop, they both ate and left no crumbs behind. We daresay this may be AG’s best collaboration to date.
1. Okay (2020)
You see this song? We’re convinced AG put crack in it because what? Another no-nonsense jam, AG reminded us that he’s not anybody’s mate. The best part was this song dropped right when we needed it as we were all super confused as a result of the 2020 pandemic. When he said, “Okay, okay. We go dey okay”, we felt it in our bones and we’re still feeling it now because after all is said and done, we go dey okay last last.
