The year 2022 holds a lot of promises for some singers who hit the limelight in 2021 due to their creative prowess and consistency. Daily Trust shines its spotlight on some rising Nigerian musicians to watch out for this year.
AYRA STARR
Last year was a good one for Mavin artiste, Ayra Starr, who warmed her way into the hearts of music lovers through her hit records like Away and Bloody Samaritan.
Born Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe on June 14, 2002, in Cotonou, Benin Republic, she began a fashion career at the age of 16. After covering several songs by popular artistes on Instagram, she posted her first original song on her page in December 2019. This brought her to the attention of record executive, Don Jazzy, and led to her signing to Mavin Records.
The songstress released two EPs last year titled; ‘Ayra Starr EP’ and ‘19 & Dangerous Album’, and both projects were a success.
So far, her hit song ‘Away’, which was released on YouTube about 11 months ago, has about 5.6m views. Also, her song ‘Bloody Samaritan’, which was released on YouTube about four months ago, has garnered over four million views.
Moreso, her stage name, Ayra, means honourable and respected.
VICTONY
For fast-rising singer, Victony, 2021 had its ups and downs but the singer ended the year smiling to the bank.
Born Anthony Chukwuebuka Victor on January 5, 2002, the singer was involved in a ghastly auto crash in April 2021, which confined him to a wheelchair.
To the delight of his fans, the singer stood up to perform for the first time since he got involved in an accident. This happened at the ‘A Decade of Davido’ concert organised by Flytime entertainment.
Teaming up with DMW music act, Mayorkun, the singer gained popularity with the song, ‘Holy Father’. While the song topped charts across the country, Victony became a favourite among music fans.
His song ‘Pray’, which was released about a month ago on YouTube, has over 400,000 views.
MOHBAD
The Marlian signee is definitely making his boss, Naira Marley, proud with his hit songs, especially ‘Feel Good’. For instance, the song’s official video, which was posted on YouTube about four months ago, has garnered about 3.4 million views. Also, the official video of his collaboration, Ko Por Ke, with Rexxie, garnered over six million views.
Born Ilerioluwa Oldimeji, the singer started his career professionally in 2016 by releasing freestyles online. He soon caught the attention of Naira Marley who signed him on to his record label.
RUGER
The music talent, whose real name is Michael Adebayo, was discovered by singer, D’Prince, who later signed him to his Jonzing World Record Label.
The eyepatch-wearing artiste is one to look out for this year as he has wowed his fans with songs like Bounce and Dior. These hit records were on the top five spots on the Apple Music Top 100: Nigeria chart.
Furthermore, the official video of Bounce, which was released on YouTube about seven months ago, has garnered over 21 million views, while the official audio of his latest hit single, Dior, has garnered over 3.5 million listens on the platform.
LOJAY
Fast-rising Nigerian singer and songwriter, Lojay, proved that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Nigerian music industry with his debut EP ‘LV N ATTN’. The project was produced by iconic music producer, Sarz, and had Grammy award-winning singer, Wizkid, as a featured artiste on the project.
Born in April 1996 and christened Kelvin Nnamdi Odenigbo, the singer also thrilled his fans with hit songs like Monalisa and Tonongo.
PORTABLE
In December 2021, the singer, Portable, was regarded as the hottest street-hop singer in the entertainment industry — thanks to iconic rap artiste, Olamide.
With Olamide featured on his song, ZaZoo Zehh, Portable became a sought-after artiste as he performed in most major shows in December.
From obscurity, the artiste’s song became a street anthem. The commercial success of the song not only enlarged his fanbase, or made him a favourite among established celebrities; it also fetched Portable two cars and lots of cash, which he flaunted on social media.
Born Habeeb Okikiola, the singer has announced to his fans that he is working on a new song. However, the video of his smashing hit song, ZaZoo Zehh, which was released on YouTube about eight days ago, has been viewed over one million times on the platform. More so, it is among the Top 10 songs on Apple Music Nigeria.
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