Even though 2021 was supposed to be a year where the world would return to ‘normal’, many festivals, concerts and award ceremonies were cancelled, postposed or held digitally. Following the emergence of the Omicron variant in November, countries like the US and UK, which many African musicians rely on to earn a living by touring there, placed new travel restrictions that led to the cancellations of incoming tours by artists based on the continent.

Despite these repetitive challenges, many musicians opted to increase their output in terms of new musical works and further embraced the digital space to grow their brands with new and existing fans. The hits continued pouring out and many African artists kept on signing important recording and publishing deals as well as endorsement agreements throughout the year. In West Africa, Nigerian and Ghanaian artists dominated the airwaves and digital service providers (DSPs). The region’s most notable success came from Wizkid whose collaboration with Tems on ‘Essence’ earned the Nigerian various international awards. Southern Africa was ruled by amapiano while Central Africa saw veterans such as Koffi Olomidé and Fali Ipupa cementing their presence in the industry. There was a shift in North Africa with young hip hop artists like ElGrandeToto and Wegz taking the genre to the next level within the Arab region. As usual, Tanzania and Kenya were the biggest exporters of music in the East African region with musicians such Zuchu and Nikita Kering winning top awards.

Music In Africa has compiled a list to African artists who turned heads in 2021 and further popularised the continent’s music.

Southern Africa

Makhadzi (South Africa)

Makhadzi made a huge impression this year with her 2020 album Kokovha (Crawl), which debuted at No 1 on the South African iTunes album charts, beating Kabza De Small and Blxckie as well as international stars like J Cole, The Weeknd, Drake and Summer Walker. In August, Apple Music included Makhadzi in its Visionary Women Campaign to celebrate women in music and their achievements for Women’s Month, ranking Kokovha the most streamed album by a South African female artist. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) and earned Makhadzi a spot on Spotify’s 2021 Top 10 Most Streamed South African Artists list. Apple Music also ranked the 25-year-old, Limpopo-born singer as the most streamed South African female artist with almost 10 million streams globally this year. On Deezer, Makhadzi came second after Afrikaans singer Riaan Benadé in the Top Albums list by local artists. The French streaming platform also ranked her in fourth position in the Top Female Artists list after Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé. Her chart-topping single ‘Ghanama’, off her 2021 African Queen album, was certified platinum. On the awards front, Makhadzi won trophies at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMAs) and the Feather Awards in South Africa. She also launched a new sneaker brand named after the successful Kokovha album.

Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwean musician Jah Prayzah began 2021 with hype following the release of his 10th album Gwara, which is narrated through a four-part video series called Nhoroondo (The Story). The project received critical acclaim and support from Nyaradzo Life Assurance, which also stood behind Jah Prayzah’s projects throughout the year. In September, the ‘Takarasima’ hitmaker signed an endorsement deal with West Properties Zimbabwe and the Pacific Cigarette Company, which gave him his first major corporate endorsement.

DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small (South Africa)

DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small’s contribution to amapiano can never be understated. This year, the duo, also known as the Scorpion Kings, won three awards at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs). Kabza De Small also scooped the coveted Male Artist of the Year Award for his album I Am The King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust at the 2021 SAMAs and the Best Amapiano Music Producer Award at the inaugural South African Amapiano Awards. Both artists also made a huge impression on DSPs, with Apple Music ranking Kabza De Small as the highest-charting South African artist, while DJ Maphorisa’s songs ‘Izolo’ and ‘Banyana’ appeared on the digital platform’s Top Songs of 2021 list at No 6 and 9, respectively. DJ Maphorisa is also the only South African musician who features in the Top 10 Most Streamed Artists lists, where he occupies eighth spot among some of the biggest music names in the world. He also topped the Top 10 Most Streamed South African Artists list, where he is followed by Kabza De Small. DJ Maphorisa’s ‘Banyana’ was ranked among the Top Tracks of 2021 on Deezer. The platform also positioned the two artists among the Top Male Artists in the country at No 8 and 9.

Busta 929 (South Africa)

Busta 929’s rise to fame came with the amapiano hit ‘Umsebenzi Wethu’, which dominated the South Africa airwaves in 2021. The song took the first and third spots on Apple Music’s Top Songs of 2021 list and the Top Shazamed Songs of 2021 list in South Africa. Maba Jabul’abantu, an album he co-authored with Mr JazziQ, was ranked at No 20 on the Top Albums of 2021 South Africa list. The artist also made an impression on Spotify where he came third in the Top 10 Most Streamed South African Artists list. South Africans showed love for Busta 929 on Deezer after ‘Umsebenzi Wethu’ came in at No 2 on the Top Tracks list. The song was also the most streamed South African track in the country. Apart from doing well in the digital space, ‘Umsebenzi Wethu’ earned Busta 929 two awards at the 2021 SAMAs and a nomination in the Best Newcomer category at the 2021 African Muzik Magazine Awards, but lost to Nigeria’s Ruger.

Lady Du (South Africa)

Lady Du is arguably one of the hottest South African artists right now and appeared on a Times Square billboard as part of Spotify’s African Heat Campaign this year – an achievement that only a few South African artists have accomplished. The campaign featured a series of partnerships, activations and creative content opportunities designed to highlight the diversity of African talent. The ‘Inkanyezi’ hitmaker was also featured on Apple Music’s Visionary Women Campaign alongside fellow South Africans Makhadzi, DBN Gogo, Elaine and Shekhinah. On the awards circuit, Lady Du received two accolades at the Feather Awards and triumphed in the Best Female Amapiano Artist category at the South African Amapiano Awards.

Anglophone West Africa

Wizkid (Nigeria)

Twenty-twenty-one is Wizkid’s year. The Nigerian superstar has been present in the continent’s top ranks for more than a decade, but it is safe to say that 2021 was his biggest year yet. Largely propped by his 2020 album Made in Lagos, which bears the global earworm and chart-shattering ‘Essence’, Wizkid has won almost every notable award he has been nominated for, including two MOBO Awards, multiple laurels at the 2021 All Africa Music Awards and the African Muzik Magazine Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award, and an Apple Music Award, among others. Next month, at the 64th Grammys, the Afrobeats singer is up for two Grammy Awards. Recently, his Made in Lagos World Tour saw him stage multiple sold-out shows at the O2 Arena in London.

Tems (Nigeria)

Nigeria’s Tems is known for her R&B and neo-soul innovations. Her individual 2021 milestones aside, it is her appearance on ‘Essence’ that has given her the first taste of true global stardom, including a shot at a Grammy. Boomplay Music, Africa’s biggest music streaming platform, also listed her as one of three Top Rising Artists of 2021 in Nigeria behind Ruger and Ayra Starr.

Olamide (Nigeria)

A bona fide hit merchant and street ambassador, Olamide’s rollouts may not be characterised by the pomp and pageantry of his colleagues, but his numbers speak for themselves. His 2021 figures on Boomplay allude to his continual musical influence. He emerged as the Top Male Artist on the platform, and his Omah Lay-assisted ‘Infinity’ was the most-streamed Afrobeats song of the year.

Black Sherif (Ghana)

To many, singer Black Sherif is Ghana's biggest discovery of 2021. He is behind runaway hits ‘Second Sermon’ and ‘First Sermon’, which were the two fastest rising songs to reach 1 million streams on multiple DSPs. ‘Second Sermon’ has since benefited from a new verse from African giant Burna Boy, who announced that Black Sherif would be accompanying him on an upcoming tour.

Diana Hamilton (Ghana)

Gospel singer Diana Hamilton has consistently made a strong case for the viability of her genre in Ghana. Not only is she habitually popping up as a leading name among key charts and taste-making playlists in the country, but her efforts elevated her to Artist of the Year at the 2021 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, the country's most respected awards platform.

Francophone West Africa

Angelique Kidjo (Benin/France)

The Beninese singer’s star continues to shine as she opened 2021 with the colourful song ‘Dignity’ featuring Nigerian songstress Yemi Alade. The track seeks to instil a positive attitude in women around the world. This year, Kidjo also added to her already impressive discography with a new album titled Mother Nature, which earned her a nomination at the 2022 Grammy Awards. The four-time Grammy winner will now be hoping to equal Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s haul of five trophies come 31 January.

Youssou N’Dour (Senegal)

When it’s not Kidjo, it’s Youssou N’Dour. The Senegalese megastar, like his long-time friend from Benin, has been at the top of African music for decades. N’Dour made waves in 2021 with ‘Bukki Yi’, a song that garnered the singer millions of YouTube views. But perhaps the biggest development for the ‘7 Seconds’ hitmaker was signing a distribution deal with Universal Music. It was through his signature on this deal that he released his latest opus in tribute to his favourite musical style: mbalax.

Kerozen (Ivory Coast)

If you know the Ivorian context with its abundance of talent and the tough competition in its music scene, you would also know how difficult it is to win the Primud d’Or, a distinction reserved for the best Ivorian artist of the year. In addition to winning the major accolade, Kerozen’s single ‘L’élu’ did well on streaming platforms and earned millions of YouTube views.

Iba One (Mali)

Iba One made a big impression in November when he won four awards at the AFRIMAs. But that’s not all, the author of 2021’s Dokèra EP also received the Best African Artist Award at the Galsen Hip Hop Awards in Senegal.

Aya Nakamura (Mali/France)

Although she has not been as influential as in 2019 and 2020, Aya Nakamura was still at the top this year. The French-Malian pop singer accumulated more than 41 million views in six months for her single ‘Bobo’, which was shot in the picturesque setting of the Cape Verdean archipelago. The hitmaker was also nominated for the French Artist of the Year Award at the Apple Music Awards.

East Africa

Zuchu (Tanzania)

Zuchu made history by becoming the first female artist in sub-Saharan Africa to have the most viewed song from the continent. ‘Sukari’, which was released in January, had garnered more than 62 million views at the time of writing. The 28-year-old singer also became the first East African female artist to hit 1 million YouTube subscribers and the first female artist on the continent to achieve this milestone within 11 months.

Nikita Kering (Kenya)

Nikita Kering was crowned Best Female Artist in East Africa and Best R&B/Soul Artist at the 2021 AFRIMAs, beating music veterans Nandy, Tanasha Donna and Nadia Mukami. Her success this year can also be attributed to the release of her successful debut EP A Side of Me and her appointment as brand ambassador for Samsung Kenya.

Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

Despite losing the BET Award for Best International Act to Nigeria’s Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz has continued to show his commitment to promoting Tanzanian music internationally. The Tanzanian star has announced that his next album will feature American artists Busta Rhymes, Wiz Khalifa and Swae Lee. His record label Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) this year signed a 360 strategic partnership with Warner Music Group and Ziiki Media. Under the deal, WCB will collaborate with a diverse roster of musicians linked to the two companies.

Bien Baraza (Kenya)

This year, Kenyan band Sauti Sol announced that its members would be focusing on solo projects under the tag ‘Alone Together’ until May 2022. The group’s frontman, Bien Baraza, was the first to rake in the success with the release of his debut EP Bald Men Love Better, featuring legendary pianist Aaron Rimbui.

Azawi (Uganda)

It was a good year for rising Ugandan star Azawi following the successful release of her debut album African Music. The project presents Azawi’s heritage through 16 optimistic tracks. In 2020, her song ‘Quinamino’ off the Lo Fit EP was featured on Major Lazer’s AITF4 mixtape. The Swangz Avenue signee was named among the 54 artists selected to join the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022. The 25 year old continues to dominate streaming platforms, with her YouTube channel amassing more than 8 million views since it was created in April 2020.

Central Africa

Fally Ipupa (DRC)

After the release of his album Tokooos II in December 2020, Congolese music icon Fally Ipupa performed in the DRC, Tanzania, Chad, Gabon and Burkina Faso. The ‘Nidja’ hitmaker affirmed his popularity by collaborating with French artist M. Pokora, Nigerian singer Flavour and Ivorian group Magic System. This year, YouTube honoured him with a trophy for reaching 2 million subscribers. He also clinched the Best Male Artist in Central Africa Award at the AFRIMAs.

Koffi Olomide (DRC)

Despite not releasing an album this year, Koffi Olomide made successful collaborations with local artists Ninho, Majoos and Gaz Fabilouss. He also collaborated with Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) and Charlotte Dipanda (Cameroon) to maintain his brand as one of the DRC’s biggest artists of all time.

Innoss'B (DRC)

Innoss'B made a massive impression in 2021 with the song ‘No No’, which is performing well on YouTube. The award-winning singer was also invited by Tanzanian star Rayvanny to collaborate on a song titled ‘Kelebe’, which had amassed more than 6 million views at the time of writing.

Locko (Cameroon)

Locko is one of the artists in Cameroon who was at the top in 2021. He is among the African artists featured on the Rhythms of Zamunda soundtrack – a collection of songs inspired by the comedy film Coming 2 America. He cemented his presence with the release of a new album ERA, which performed well on all major streaming platforms. Locko bagged the Male Artist of the Year Award at Canal 2'Or, one of the most important award ceremonies in Cameroon.

Shan'L (Gabon)

Shan'L made the headlines this year; she won the Best Female Artist Award at the AFRIMAs and saw her 24-track album Eklektik 2.0 do well on DSPs. The album’s theme addressed in the eclectic project speaks to people facing love dilemmas.

North Africa

Wegz (Egypt)

Hip hop artist Wegz earned himself the ‘most streamed artist’ title on Spotify Egypt. Four of his songs were among the 10 most streamed tracks in the North African country, including ‘Asyad El Soot’, ‘Msh Fair’, ‘3afareet El Asphalt’ and ‘Hustla’. In August, he was listed in GQ Magazine’s Voices of the Future – a roundup of GQ’s global editions featuring the hottest homegrown artists defining the future of music. In the same month, Spotify featured his four tracks in its Songs of Summer report, which looks at what the Arab world listens to during the summer. This was after the 23-year-old rapper was ranked by Deezer as the second most streamed Arab artist in the region. In September, Wegz staged the biggest virtual concert in the Middle East courtesy of celebrity-fan engagement platform Minly Watch. The online gig attracted about 23 000 fans from across 31 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Europe, North America and Asia.

Hamza Namira (Egypt)

Following the release of his Mawlood Sanat 80 (Born in 1980) album in late 2020, Hamza Namira became one of the biggest trending artists in Egypt. Namira made it to the top five of Spotify’s rankings with Mawlood Sanat 80, which became 2021’s third most streamed album in Egypt. The indie artist also made a huge impression on other big music platforms, including YouTube where he was viewed over 15 million times through his 3.9 million-subscriber channel.

ElGrandeToto (Morocco)

In terms of the top MENA artists, Moroccan rapper ElGrandeToto is the most-streamed Arab artist of 2021 in the region, followed by Wegz, Inkonnu, Amr Diab and Tagne. ElGrandeToto’s ‘Mghayer’ was the most-streamed song from the MENA region in 2021, with Tagne’s ‘Nadi Candi’ in second spot and Hadal Ahbek by Jordan’s ‘Issam Alnajjar’ taking third place. This earned him the Most Promising African Artist Award at the 2021 AFRIMAs.

Amr Diab (Egypt)

Singer and actor Amr Diab was the second-most streamed artist in Egypt with the help of his 2020 album Sahran. Despite a shift in the music scene in Egypt, where rap and maharagant have become dominant music genres, the 60-year-old star remains one of the top artists on Spotify’s Wrapped lists year after year.