Unarguably, Nigeria has been honored with numerous capable youthful specialists, music makers and lyricists doing incredibly well both locally and globally.
Three Nigerian artists from this generation have gone on to win the highly prestigious Music Academy Awards (Grammys).
However, a new generation is following in the footsteps of Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizid, and their performance is not at all bad.
Yet, the inquiry is, who are these new ages of Nigerian vocalists under 30?
Below is the list of top seven most popular Nigerian singers under 30:
These guys have accorded themselves local and international reputations and recognition.
1. Tems:
Grammy-winning Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, born in 1995, is one of the most famous artists in the country, with unprecedented international recognition. Tems is seen by many as the leader of the new generation of Nigerian singers after the class of 2010/2011, including Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido.
2. Fireboy DML:
Fireboy’s local and international growth hasn’t particularly come as a surprise. Instead, the ease with which he seems to be doing so much without too much fuss is startling.
His global hit, Peru, featuring Ed Sheeran, broke a British record in 2022 when it held the number one spot on the BBC’s top 20 world countdown for nearly 13 weeks.
Fireboy was once invited to perform live on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. His growth in the American market at the moment is uncharted.
The YBNL crew recently celebrated with Fireboy when Peru was certified platinum in the U.S.
The 27-year-old is one of Nigeria’s biggest musical export after the class of 2010/2011.
3. Rema
The Mavin record label star boy, Divine Ikubor, has always seemed set for great things, as his global fame and recognition have continued to grow with each passing year.
From featuring on Barack Obama’s playlist of the year for three years consecutively, 2022 seems to have been his most successful yet.
The 22-year-old dropped his official debut album in 2022, which had international singers, including Chris Brown, AJ Tracey, and Yseult on it.
His single Calm Down off the album has been a gem and is doing amazingly well. The song has been heard in many international arenas, like at the World Cup, the Emirate stadium, The Maradona and even Camp Nou.
Rema is a next-generation artist whose popularity locally and internationally is incontestable.
4. Ckay
The Love Nwantiti crooner to date holds the record for the most streamed Afrobeat song on Spotify.
Ckay’s fame and his international stock rose without too much effort. Instead, it came to be because of his song’s unique TikTok characteristics.
The 27-year-old is the only Nigerian singer with over one billion streams across all music streaming platforms.
5. Omah Lay
25-year-old Nigerian Afropop artist Stanley Omah Dibia, also known as Omah Lay, is one of Nigeria’s most popular singers under 30.
His growth since dropping his debut EP in 2020 is unprecedented. He has set himself apart with his unique melody and flow.
Omah’s global influence and popularity was ascertained after Canadian-American singer Justin Bieber contacted him for a collaboration. The pair have a song and music video together.
6. Ayra Starr
Even though she’s only been in the music scene for a minute, Ayra Starr’s fame and popularity both in Nigeria and on the international markets is unmatched.
Ayra Starr’s hit single Rush broke records in America, however, Ayra’s most considerable success has to be having Kelly Rowland reach out to her to feature on her song, Bloody Samaritan.
Recently Ayra Starr’s song was used as a feature track on Micheal B Jordan’s franchise movie, Creed III.
As her popularity in Nigeria grows, the 20-year-old has quickly charted a penetrative course into the international market and has been hugely successful.
7. Asake
Ahmed Ololade, aka Asake, is regarded by many as the flagbearer of contemporary Afro-Fuji. His unique style of music has put many Nigerian music enthusiasts in a chokehold.
The 28-year-old’s popularity across the Atlantic into the western hemisphere was tested some months back, and he passed with flying colours as his shows at the O2 arenas were all sold out.
Asake has successfully carved his name into the list of the new generation acts set to dominate the Nigerian scene for years to come.