In 2024, Afrobeats fired off platforms with highly anticipated debuts, international breakthroughs and entire soundscapes being minted. Things were serious. The genre had become a global staple and one of the continent’s major entertainment exports, and our industry was enjoying the many perks that come with being so celebrated. There was good music in abundance for the audience, and artistry flourished as more innovative expressions expanded our palette.
It is from this endless sea of amazing works that we have compiled a countdown list of Most Creative Projects in 2024. It consists of the most “out-of-the-hat” albums we heard this year, as we discuss their impact on the creative scene.
15. Filah Lah Lah – ON AIR
Filah Lah Lah from Pretoria, South Africa reflects romantic and social vignettes on the stickly and grainy melodies of her radio-show concept album titled ON AIR. She strolls through the projects with the gentle intention of providing soulful comfort with jazz, electronic and R&B instrumentals. She also seams magical transitions between what may seem like a long listen, but it drives inroads into R&B that are worth the trip.
14. AMAEYA – Like A Flower
Rising R&B star, Amaeya takes next with Like A Flower which she describes as a deep reflection of herself. The first track, ‘Element‘ does some good introductory work; “like earth blooms pretty flowers / my hair blows like leaves in the wind/my heart burns burns like fire.”
Like a Flower captures the rapt attention of listeners as Amaeya constructs an ill-fated love story with viscid attraction. She also has sweet bass tunes like her groundbreaking 2023 single ‘On My Own‘ as she sings out. The project stands out as it builds gentle rumbles from afro percussion, with very generous and soulful drives charged by Amaeye’s peaking songwriting. It’s also wonderful how the project wafts from jazzy R&B/Soul to some House fusion. This beautiful project belongs on any top shelf.
13. TITILOPE SONUGA – Sis
The wholesome healing that Titilope Sonuga pours into her second studio album ‘Sis’ bears the same endearing gentleness as the title. The album contains a collection of soul-stirring spoken word poetry that reflects on love, sisterhood and womanhood.
12. MAUIMØON – For the Love of R&B vol.1
We also have the alternative East African singer and producer MAUIMØON (who also goes by the producer moniker, La Soülchyld) rubbing something called palogroove music into soothing R&B on, For the Love of R&B. The result is a very intimate sound, with instrumentals flavoured and stretched further by softly grinding drums. MAUIMØON’s breezy highlife fusion makes for relaxing music and ignites a comforting vibe while focusing on a central theme of love.
11. GAREY GODSON – Better Late than Never
Garey Godson’s trip to Berlin, Germany on Better Late Than Never is better than refreshing. It jams a lot of cool R&B, Afro-fusion and electronic dance music, and the versatile Garey raps and sings as listeners journey through the highlights of his vacation.
Along 5 tracks we find the introspective and inspiring, as well as the steamy and romantic. However, this E.P. stands out with its seamless fusion of sounds and remarkable storytelling. And by so doing, it also sustains the creative connection the Nigerian-born and Berlin-based artiste and producer has developed with his diverse audience.
10. Baaba J – In Pursuit of Happiness
Baaba J takes highlife fusions to another level on In Pursuit of Happiness – her airy vocals lilt on the opener ‘Ah Well‘, produced by Palmwine highlife pioneer Juls. Her sweet intoxicating notes on this project are primed for delicate delivery where she mixes English with pidgin and her native language. Baaba J also dabbles into electro-funk and house music as she funnels bitter-sweet romance through self-awareness that has become a captivating hallmark of her expression. She is certainly a voice to watch out for in the coming year.
9. DWIN, THE STOIC– Master of Ballads
Please, we should also give a round of applause for Dwin, The Stoic and his spectacular masterpiece Master of Ballads which glues listeners for 15 tracks while ranging across different innovative styles. The album swings nicely and Dwin brings on other alternative artists like Ogranya, Lindsei Abudei and Ruka (one half of Dwin’s indie group Ignis Brothers) for an exciting lineup.
Master of Ballads weaves deeply emotional stories around Dwin’s muse, painting a vivid tale of love and grief while blending rich soundscapes with captivating storytelling.
8. mau from nowhere – Soft steps
mau from nowhere can also be found here with his genre-defying album, Soft Steps. This positively curated and mind-freeing project blends hip-hop, soul, and African highlife influences while delving into themes of love, growth, and resilience. The tenderness of the instrumentals we find on this project also extends to the unfettered heart with which mau from nowhere embraces and lets go.
7. WIZARD CHAN – Time Traveler
Wizard Chan continues to evolve while embracing his roots and showcasing the cultural depth that abounds in Nigerian indigenous music on his sophomore album, Time Traveller. He shoves out all the noisy bass-heavy drill that populates his debut The Messenger, and ushers in his more natural and calming groove in local highlife.
On songs like ‘Big Masquerade‘ and ‘Time Traveller‘, his deep baritone soulfully registers over gyrations of local drums, gongs and hummings native to his Ijaw heritage. On his tracks, he offers sage advice in long call-and-response structured conversations about divinity and coming of age.
6. TURUNESH – Nesha’s Cypher
Loss is a major theme in Turunesh’s Nesha’s Cypher; loss to an item, loss to love, and loss sometimes in a beautiful way. She describes the album as a way back to herself; a code and path to self-discovery. But all of this search for a revival makes sense from the perspective of a lovelorn affair over which she obsesses throughout the album.
Turunesh also provides such a wonderful and immersive listen. She lets her steamy flows cool over vibrant string instrumentals and easily wins listeners with her rich vocals. Her ethereal electronic Virgin Denim also accommodates complementary verses from fellow East African artistes, mau from nowhere and Karun.
5. Juls – Peace & Love
This album holds as much refreshment as shells of coconut nectar, and Juls wields the blade that cracks them open. The Ghanaian producer issues an interesting mix of his trademarked Palmwine sound consisting of Ghanaian highlife, afro-caribbean, rap and house music in Peace and Love. We can’t yet shut up about Juls bringing Worlarsi’s spring-clean melodies on a track that feels so earthy, while Falz flexes his storytelling in rap verses.
Peace & Love is a remarkable album that doesn’t solely recline on Juls’ wealth of experience like it could have easily done, it also seeks to outdo itself. Juls showcases the beauty of music that has Africa as its source on this album by highlighting its finest parts and mixing emerging and internationally recognized voices and sounds.
4. VICTONY – Stubborn
Through the vignettes of a young boy from Isolo, Lagos, Stubborn is laced with a resilient story of a phoenix rising through the ashes. In 2021, Victony survived a motor accident that left him with leg injuries, a situation that could have altered the trajectory of his budding career. Thankfully, he nursed his health and got his spirit back. So when you hear Victony’s defiance against failure on the tracklist of his album, you may also feel the joy of his revival.
On Stubborn, Victony explores very potent subgenres of house music – from gqom to kwaito and amapiano – while delivering in his slippery, tongue-lilting accent that he seems to have perfected. Songs like ‘Risk’ or ‘Stubborn’ with Asake eventually became a favourite spin amongst the fans. However, other splendid pieces make the project like ‘Sunday School’ is produced by P2J, while ‘History’ is produced by KTIZO, who he (Victony) majorly collaborates with for the album’s production.
3. Show Dem Camp, The Cavemen., Nsikak David – No Love in Lagos
Five musicians walk into a bar and order palmwine. At the end of their encounter, the unanimous conclusion is that there is no love in Lagos. And so they get off their benches and walk off together into the night with a mission to concoct a new generational mix of jazz, highlife and hip-hop that would breed love and content – is how I reckon this project was conceived.
Nsikak David’s guitar strings join The Cavemen as they build jazzy highlife bases of the tracks. A song usually comes with Benjamin’s shrilly adlibs colourfully electrifying Kingsley’s gripping hooks. Then, Tec and Ghost of the Show Dem Camp oh yes indeed take turns in setting the frames and developing images of Lagos stories with surgical rap flows and ad-libs. Their collaboration on No Love In Lagos highlights the determination and goal-driven aspiration shared by all collaborators (and honestly, the majority of their listeners) as a requirement for surviving the jungle that is Lagos. It is also really nice to hear Tim Lyre’s soft intoxicating vocals on the hook of ‘Buga‘ as chopsticks crack sharply across drums on the track.
2. LLONA – Homeless
Undoubtedly one of the best albums this year, Llona’s debut Homeless broke through the underground and took the music scene by storm. Llona seemed to tell everybody’s story or one they could empathise with. Homeless reveals an introspective Llona carefully reflecting on his personal experiences and channelling his pain into art. He focuses his unsmiling weathered stare at his compounding challenges, refining them into therapeutic narrations that people can listen to and feel comfort.
The production on this album is cozy and inviting, familiar yet original. Llona’s light smoky voice layers sweetly on ‘Comforter’, a track that soars off the album. He also creates a safe space with fellow alternative acts like Fave, Wizard Chan and Bella Shmurda while starting a conversation that highlights determination, self-awareness while addressing social injustices. If you are a keen listener, songs like ‘Still Scared‘ and ‘Stranger‘ can weave underrated paths to the soul of this album. Rapturous, and incredibly engaging for a debut.
1. REMA – HEIS
At London’s 140bpm, Rema is chanting “OZEBA! OZEBA!” as four bass kicks drop against a track of menacing synths capable of inducing mad euphoria. It’s Rema’s early conquest of the growing AfroEDM wave, which is somewhat in his rights as the Ravelord, but the mainstream populace aren’t sure what they are supposed to do with it.
It’s quite simple. You are supposed to rave. Rema’s critically acclaimed album HEIS takes generous inspiration from the electronic dance genre, especially house and techno. P.Prime is his chief co-conspirator, taking on tracks with tempos high enough to start a riot. Other artists like Asake have swung into AfroEDM with his ‘Uhh Yeah‘ produced by Sarz, also, ‘C’mon Look!’. HEIS puts forward Rema’s exceeding confidence in an impeccable prototype for something so experimental. In an alternate discussion, flak about Rema trying to pander to Western audiences will stick, but not when he is effectively connecting to his origins at home as Afrobeats’ prince in his declarations.
And yet some criticism may land, like the obscene flaunts of wealth and class in this album. The thing is, talking your shit can be necessary but “No more big three, there is now a big 4,” in a year where there was a thorough big 3 conversation is a bit sore to look back at. Tems, Ayra Starr and Tyla primarily dominated conversation about the genre all year long from highly anticipated releases to engraving pop culture moments. They also shared this stage with other leading international acts, notably Wizkid, Olamide, Asake, Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Pheelz and Fireboy, breaking records, gaining recognition, selling out tours, etc.
African music has won quite a lot this year, and in fact, we’ve had some of the nicest gifts. Aside the fiscal booms and artistes reaching new markets, we also made great strides in inclusivity and innovation. And of course, there is still room for work to be done.
