rolling afro 2020

The new Adekunle Gold album, Afro Pop, Vol. 1, is a much more straightforward and concise affair (just 29 minutes against Fireboy and Burna’s 50). It’s mostly good (altho the lyrics can be a bit clunky at times), but it doesn’t make good on the promise of those great singles he released from “Kelegbe Megbe” onwards. “Okay” is the clear highlight of the new tracks.

I’ve been converted. I’m on team afropop-beats-dance now.

the fireboy album is a really really good pop/r&b album even if its not as distinctively west african as a lot of pop from there is. if his album last year was even better i'll have to check it out

Fireboy DML has cited Jon Bellion, Passenger and Wande Coal as his key contemporary influences.[3]

this is a really ridiculous combination lmao

there's a weird full circle thing where it often resembles some of the 80s pop/rock that had vague african/'world music' influences

if his album last year was even better i'll have to check it out

I’ve been converted. I’m on team afropop-beats-dance now.

Spotify playlist with all the tracks posted on this and other Afro(-adjacent) threads, we’re at 330 tracks now:

ILM rolling ✳️all-inclusive✳️ afro 2020

Thank you for that! Lots of things to catch up with!

tbh, not hating the sam smith collab on the tiwa album lol, tho i haven't been paying much attention to the lyrics.

yes tonight is Celia listening time!

Let me post this amazing performance of "Dangerous Love" for Jimmy Fallon first (posted it on the Naija Special poll thread earlier): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXprX_vwPvc

I don't watch the tonight show but was not expecting Jimmy Fallon to have Tiwa Savage as a music guest. Now I'm looking at her musical guest list of this year and damn, whoever is in charge of booking acts for the show has some pretty good taste: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Jimmy_Fallon_episodes_(2020)

yeah I get alerts sometimes, he’s had several Afropop artists on, and I remember a recentish Bad Bunny performance that was fire.

The first half of Celia is superb, rest is good to very good as well. Best of the current batch of big shot Naija albums so far, by far. Made in Lagos, you’re damn right!

Opening track “Save My Life” (with an uncredited Terri, I think, or is it Reekado?) is total Naijapolitan bliss:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFSzmMz9H8U

“Bombay” with Stefflon Don and Dice Ailes is mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

also “FWMM (F*CK With My Mind)”...!

another Tiwa track with *backing* vocals/voices

the production on “Pakalamisi” with Hamzaa is stunning

where did I even get the idea the second half was somehow not as good

produced by Ozedikus (who did Rema’s “Woman” with Altims)

had smoked a little something last night but now that I’m sober my opinion hasn’t changed one iota:

This album is astonishingly good. I was touting Fireboy’s debut as one of the best Afropop albums ever just the other day, well, we’ve got another one here. This is album of the year material.

I mean, I hadn’t even mentioned “Glory”.

tbh, not hating the sam smith collab on the tiwa album lol, tho i haven't been paying much attention to the lyrics.

I listened to about half of Celia yesterday and really liked it, looking forward to returning!

Superb album! I could do without the interlude and "Celia's Song," but they're not ruinous by any means, and the rest is excellent: deep, slick, sultry.

yes, im a big fan too. don’t mind the interlude or celia’s song, they add a nice personal touch

This Tiwa Savage album is becoming one of my favorite listens of the year. I even like the Sam Smith collab and I usually can't stand him.

Oddly enough I like the second half better.

of course I made a thread:

next level at 40: 🌸TIWA SAVAGE’s CELIA🌸 album

someone should make a thread for fireboy too, i would but i'm not sure i can properly articulate what i love about his album

I don't why it took me months to listen to the Omah Lay ep but it is fantastic, title aside

A lot of afrobeats gets compared to dancehall but on “Ye ye ye” he really sounds like current dancehall in a way that I haven’t quite heard from Nigeria before

What? No link for the Fireboy thread?

Thraed of 🔥 Fireboy DML 🔥 and his new album Apollo

The tracks Nigerians are listening to the most when they’re not listening to Burna:

This one is nice, if a bit generic. I hear talk of TikTok, might explain its popularity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65O_4LXRyoc
Olakira • In My Maserati

The next song makes liberal use of Brymo’s classic hook for Ice Prince’s “Oleku”, which was huge when I started discovering Afropop. It’s nice to be able to feel your own sense of history with this music. It also continues Mayorkun’s hot streak in 2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yH5zhQgXPY
Jamopyper ft. Mayorkun • If No Be You

Also DJ Tunez’s “Pami” with Wizzy, Adekunle & Omah Lay (see upthread), and all things Omah in general, of course.

Not quite as popular, but extremely good, with great ominous-sounding production by Cracker Mallo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIjkFCCLdcA
Jaido P ft. Olamide • Tesina Pot

heat from Tanzania, featuring Rayvanny, as is often the case:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xAaGTFG0cI
Baba Levo ft. Rayvanny • Ngongingo

(also seconding Lucy Anita in the comments:

Lucy Anita 1 day ago
Am really waiting for a day where I will see men dancing infront of ladies almost naked while ladies in the same song are fully covered🤣🤣🤣

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJddptqCSz4
Bella Shmurda • Dangbana Orisa

I’m very much on board with producer Rexxie’s transition from zanku master to semi-spiritual vibes dealer, as witnessed by tracks like this one, Johny Kore’s “Aje”, Korede Bello’s “Morire”, and even Burna’s “Bebo”.

love the new Olamide, produced by P.Priime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6KWkycPh4g
Olamide • Eru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3_nqVUPBM
Vinka - Red Card
Hailing from Uganda, clearly reminds me of A Pass

new Davido sounds good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lta5go9P-go
Davido • FEM

that is great

his album is def in my top 10 most played of 2020

...and he is promising A Better Time with his next album!

new Niniola song with soca producers Stadic and Jonny Blaze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2Zrvc63Do
Stadic x Jonny Blaze ft. Niniola • Sibe

(it’s on their respective labels, not on hers, so probably not an official Niniola single)

Stadic does alot of soca production, no?

the answer is right there in my post!

More recent soca/afropop intermingling here and here.

FEM rules

Yes, although I see some Davido haters on twitter knocking the song

Free speech was a mistake

...which is exactly what the song is about.

ta gueule !

it was also a mistake to post that Peruzzi song earlier. I should have known (better). have seen enough instances of that guy being a p.o.s.