Best Ghanaian albums of 2020

It is imperitive to note that the year did not see albums from two of the country’s biggest artists, Shatta Wale and Sarkodie. The former delayed his album due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the latter’s decision was to allow enough time between his last album Black Love and a new one.

The COVID-19 crisis notwithstanding, the country’s music scene maintained a bubbly outlook overall, with many artists turning to virtual concerts and a radical streak of single releases across digital music platforms.

Son of Africa by Kuami Eugene

Because Ghana is widely deemed a cornerstone of Afrobeats, it is unsurprising that albums from the country that lean toward the African dance genre have secured the most impact. Kuami Eugene’s sophomore LP Son of Africa took the lead in this regard. Released in October, the project, overflowing with commercial hits and big-name collaborations, crowned a historic year for the artist, who is the current Vodafone Ghana Music Awards’ Artist of the Year.

Kpanlogo by Darkovibes

Darkovibes’ Kpanlogo is another album worth mentioning. On the project, the musician, who shot to fame as the lead singer for Afro-trap collective La Meme Gang, serves a unique combination freshly popular urban influences and the traditional sounds that constitute the core of the West African sound. ‘Inna Song (Gin & Lime)’, the album’s most successful single, typifies the sonic vision of the project. Featuring colleague King Promise, the record, which is Apple Music’s highest performing Ghanaian song, is built around passionate singing, smooth highlife references, sweet strings and a bold bass layout. Kpanlogo also positioned Darkovibes as a relevant pop draughtsman.

Anloga Junction by Stonebwoy

To achieve pop prominence in Ghana, an artist must feature dance-ready rhythms. While that method may be criticised by purists as being too formulaic, it is also a route that has produced results. For instance, while Stonebwoy’s Anloga Junction may be described as a reggae-dancehall album, it also caters to Afropop, thanks to songs like the Zlatan-assisted ‘Critical’ and ‘Everlasting’. Also replete with infectious hooks and melodies, as well as sought-after guests including US R&B star Keri Hilson, South Africa’s Nasty C and Tanzania’s Diamond Platinumz, the LP has gone on to rake millions of streams and clinched this writer’s pick as the country’s biggest album of the year.

Black Star by Kelvyn Boy

With Black Star, Kelvyn Boy takes a cue from his mentor Stonebwoy, choosing fusion over strict dancehall, the style with which he made his foray into the industry. Self-styled as the ‘Afrobeats Bad Man’, the musician taps from multiple influences to whip up a colourful body of work that adds to the list of groundbreaking Ghanaian debut albums.

10am by Strongman

Twenty-twenty was also a big year for hip hop, with Strongman among the genre’s leaders. The former Sarkodie protege registered an eventful 2020 with 10am. The project, predominantly comprising hip hop and featuring Medikal, Wendy Shay and KelvynBoy, follows 2018’s STN EP.

BRA by Flowking Stone

In classic hip hop fashion, rapper Flowking Stone has constantly insisted that he’s indispensable in conversations about Ghanaian lyrical ingenuity.This year, to back that assertion, he issued ‘BRA’, which stands for Best Rapper Africa.

Araba by Adina

After many years of successful single releases, Adina’s eponymous debut LP Araba tided ashore. A remarkable testament to her vocal prowess and connection to heritage, the 10-track album pays homage to highlife but also draws from R&B, reggae and Afropop. It also features a single guest artist in KiDi.

Agoo by Yaa Yaa

Like Adina, Yaa Yaa submitted her first full-length about a decade after first bursting into the mainstream. Agoo comprises nine songs and finds the singer and multi-instrumentalist experimenting with everything from highlife to Afro-pop, Neo-soul, Afro-soul and jazz.

The Angel You Don't Know by Amaarae

Fearless and infinitely gifted, Amaarae caused a great splash with her long-awaited debut LP The Angel You Don't Know. Selecting from alternative R&B, rock, and hip hop, among other styles, the singer navigates dark and saucy themes in a process she describes as “non-stop affirmations and incantations for bad bitches.”

Healing Stream by Eric Jeshrun

This year also saw Gospel singer Eric Jeshrun (formerly Jeshrun Okyere) release his debut album Healing Stream. The project was heralded by ‘You Reign’, which features Joe Mettle. Jeshrun says his goal for the song is to “comfort and encourage the people of Africa and the rest of the world not to give up in these times.”

The Experience by MOG Music

MOG Music’s 2020 album The Experience comprises songs that were recorded live at his New Wine worship concert back in March. The eight-track project boasts soothing worship hymns and uplifting praise medleys. A heavily collaborative album, The Experience also benefits from contributions by artists in other genres, projecting a symbolic message of harmony in the Ghanaian music landscape.