Top Songs of 2022: Nigeria

Apple Music’s end-of-year charts are based on plays between 1 November 2021 and 31 October 2022. Nigerian artists continued their global winning streak in 2022, with sounds from the country continuing to make waves and break records. Lagos-born artist Asake became the poster boy for the street-pop movement, and his blend of contemporary street culture, indigenous Fuji sounds, Yoruba lyrics and infectious “crowd vocals” saw him top our charts with tracks like “Sungba” and “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY)”. His debut album, Mr. Money With the Vibe, broke the record for the biggest opening day for an African album in Apple Music history, and Asake led a wave that saw artists like T.I BLAZE, Lil Kesh, Zinoleesky and MohBad also claim their spots at the top of the charts as they integrated South Africa’s ampiano sub-genre into their sound. Port Harcourt legend Burna Boy came back with a bang with the release of his deeply personal album Love, Damini, led by his heartbreak-inspired summertime hit “Last Last”. Nigeria’s stars took Afrobeats to the world yet again this year, with Fireboy DML’s Ed Sheeran-assisted remix of “Peru” reaching the top of our UK Top 40 charts, and Pheelz and BNXN fka Buju’s infectious “Finesse” sailed to the top in Nigeria, Ghana, London and beyond. Here’s what Apple Music users kept on repeat this year. Hear something that kept you going? Add it to your library—and keep the party going in 2023.