Afrobeats stars celebrated in Apple Music’s Oshe Naija campaign

Oshe Naija highlights the most successful and fastest-rising Nigerian artists on the digital streaming platform.

Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema were named alongside Davido and Asake as the five most prominent Nigerian artists of all time. Burna Boy, whose latest album I Told Them broke the African record for first-week streams and topped the charts in 69 countries simultaneously, leads the pack, followed by Wizkid, whose Tems-assisted ‘Essence’ still reigns as the most-streamed African song globally.

Davido, whose 2022 album Timeless charted impressively on the platform, Rema, whose ‘Calm Down’ set a record for the longest run in the top 15 of the Global Daily Top 100, and Asake, who is behind 11 songs that charted on the Global Daily Top 100, complete the list.

In addition to recognising established stars, Apple Music has also highlighted the top five rising Nigerian artists on its platform: Seyi Vibez, Odumodublvck, Shallipopi, Victor Thompson and Bayanni.

Seyi Vibez, who has received global attention for blending Yoruba-rooted music with various other genres, shot to mainstream recognition in 2021 with ‘God Sent’. The track paved the way for more than 50 songs to chart in 20 countries. His album Billion Dollar Baby catapulted him to new heights, securing his first No 1 on Nigeria’s Daily Top 100 and featuring on Burna Boy’s I Told Them. Seyi Vibez has seen a remarkable five-fold increase in streams (+435%) over the past year.

Odumodublvck, whose sound blends drill, grime and Afrobeats, has been propelled by ‘Declan Rice’, released in March and charting in Nigeria and 11 other countries – leading to a 3 500% increase in streams on Apple Music within the past year.

Shallipopi, an Apple Music Up Next artist known for his viral Afrobeats hit ‘Elon Musk’, has also enjoyed a boost of 508% in streams in Nigeria and 467% worldwide after Afrobeats star Fireboy DML appeared on a remix of that track in late June.

The rest are gospel singer-songwriter Victor Thompson whose January breakthrough song ‘This Year (Blessings)’ cracked the Daily Top 100 in 58 countries, and has experienced a remarkable 244% increase in streams worldwide year-on-year, and Bayanni whose collaboration with American singer Jason Derulo’s collaboration on the remix of the former’s ‘Ta Ta Ta’ made the Daily Top 100 in 54 countries.