Finally, beginning the second half of 2025, the Afrobeats music scene will produce more fantastic music. While there is a lot to expect, let’s look back at some specific things that have happened in the past six months in the Afrobeats music space.
We can’t start this piece without looking back at the very beginning, at the beginning of the year, when there were so many expectations for what Afrobeat would be in 2025. It was all chilled, and mostly, we were looking forward to the projects that were supposed to be released in 2024, which were pushed.
So 2025 started, and we got Asake dropping snippets here and there, after a long December of rumours and accusations of leaving YBNL Records badly, alongside his father calling him out, pretty messy. Still, he stayed quiet but responded with freestyles, snippets that birthed Why Love, and his official run of 2025 with a Militancy theme alongside his cannabis line and Label Giran Republic. We forget he also debuted his new look of mini fro, and lots of face tattoos, which sparked mixed reactions, and rocked fashion shows.
Moving on, Rema starved us for months with only a snippet of Baby (Is It A Crime) sampling legendary singer Sade. Rema finally released it, but one thing: the second verse really sparked reactions online, with many praising it and others expressing their opinions. However, we got the jam in my playlist.
However, the year started properly when Shallipopi casually previewed one of his hardest songs, Laho. This snippet is the hottest I have heard this year so far, and I know it is not just me. The country was already feeling the heat in the song, spreading wild across the globe and gathering over a million views on TikTok even before its official release. And after it dropped, the whole track did not disappoint at all. It still stands as the song of the year so far.
The ladies were also on the wave as Ayra Starr released her official first single of the year, All The Love, a track that celebrated self-love. While Ayra Starr was releasing songs, Tems was on a quest, as she performed at Aston Martin F1 Livery Unveiling, became a part-owner of the Major League Soccer (MLS) club San Diego FC like it was nothing, covered Billboard magazine, and more. And while she teased the release of a new song, we hope to hear it in the second half of 2025.
Darkoo continues her sweet mix of nostalgic Afrobeats songs by making her own remake, with a fresher direction. She made Focus On Me (All The Girls In The Club) with the legendary sample of P-Square’s Gimme Dat while bringing the nostalgic visuals we saw in Afrobeats music videos. In relation to this, Wizkid released clean visuals for his hit single Kese, directed by the Starboy himself.
In the first half of 2025, we also got a breakout star, Kunmie, a lover boy to the core. He came with a hit song, Arike, maybe titled about a girl he is madly in love with, because it seems he doesn’t want to let her go. Many related to this, as the song rose up the charts and even amassed many videos and edits on TikTok.
After quietly handling a slightly rocky year in 2024 in his music deal, Seyi Vibez suddenly returned with a new EP, Child of Africa, under his new imprint NSNV Inc. The EP also featured hits such as SHAOLIN, HAPPY SONG, and MARIO KART.
ODUMODUBLVCK also started his next body of work campaign, which is suspected to be titled INDUSTRY MACHINE, with the release of a mixtape, The Machine Is Coming. It is impressive, with songs like Pity This Boy with Victony and more.
Let’s not forget that some albums were released. First, Ruger released his album, Blown Boy, which served as his sophomore album, after months of anticipation. Davido also released his 5th album, 5ive, which brought the hit song With You featuring Omah Lay while marking Omah’s first song of 2025. Olamide also came through with his 11th album and named it after himself, featuring star artists from Asake, Seyi Vibez, Young Jonn, Dr. Dre, and many more
Toward the end of the first half of 2025, we saw the rise of underground artists Mavo and Wavestar with their hit song Escaladizzy, which swiftly captured the ears of many listeners and musicians, earning a co-sign from BNXN while also climbing the charts.
As we progress, there’s much to look forward to in the second half of 2025. We might see another song emerge that could rival Laho for song of the year, and there’s potential for a breakout star along with several hit songs. One significant event we’re eagerly anticipating is the release of Omah Lay’s highly anticipated album, Clarity of Mind. We’re hopeful that it arrives soon. Additionally, we can look forward to Burna Boy’s upcoming album, No Sign of Weakness, which is set to be released soon. Overall, we anticipate an exciting and impressive second half of 2025 filled with great music.
