Devonté Hynes, also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in New York City. From 2004 to 2006, Hynes was a member of the band Test Icicles, playing guitar, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. They released one full-length album in 2005. Hynes went on to release two solo studio albums as Lightspeed Champion and subsequently five more as Blood Orange, between 2008 and 2019.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, who is known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a prominent voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He rose to the limelight after releasing "Holla at Your Boy", the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011), which also spawned the singles "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull".
David Adedeji AdelekeOON, known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most important Afrobeats artists of the 21st century, and is credited alongside Burna Boy and Wizkid for popularizing the genre globally.
Yemi Eberechi Alade, who is better known as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Her music is a mixture of Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop and R&B, and has been of influence in several countries across Africa. She sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese.
"Crew" is a song by American hip hop recording artist GoldLink. It was released on December 16, 2016, as the lead single from his debut studio album, At What Cost (2017). The song, produced by Teddy Walton, features vocals from American singer Brent Faiyaz and American rapper Shy Glizzy. The song was a sleeper hit, receiving a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. It contains additional background vocals from Zacari.
Christopher Brent Wood, known professionally as Brent Faiyaz, is an American R&B singer from Columbia, Maryland. He originally started out as a SoundCloud rapper in the early 2010s with his debut EP, Black Child in 2013, the EP had a blend of his signature singing style and also shows off his rapping skills, which he would came back to in his sophomore album, but he ultimately went with being a singer. He rose to prominence following his guest performance alongside Shy Glizzy on GoldLink's 2016 single "Crew." The song peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received sextuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as well as a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The following year, he released his debut studio album, Sonder Son (2017).
A Good Time is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Davido. It was released on November 22, 2019, through Davido Music Worldwide, RCA Records and Sony Music. The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Dremo, Peruzzi, Popcaan, Zlatan, Yonda, Wurld and Naira Marley. Its production was handled by Speroach Beatz, Tekno, Shizzi, Kiddominant, P2J, London on da Track, and Fresh VDM, among others. In December 2019, Davido announced a North American tour in support of the album; the tour was scheduled to begin in the winter and end in spring 2020. In March 2020, Davido postponed the tour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2020 in African music.
Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song "Fountains" by Canadian rapper Drake.
Fuck the World is the fourth EP by American R&B singer Brent Faiyaz, released February 7, 2020, by Lost Kids.
Made in Lagos is the fourth studio album by Nigerian singer Wizkid. It was released on 30 October 2020 by Starboy Entertainment and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Burna Boy, Skepta, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Tay Iwar, Projexx, Tems, Damian Marley, Terri and was executive produced by P2J. The deluxe edition was released on 27 August 2021. It features additional guest appearances from Buju and Justin Bieber. In support of the album, Wizkid embarked on the Made in Lagos Tour (2021–2022). The album received a nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album.
The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2021 in African music.
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. She began a fashion career at the age of 16 with Quove Model Management before deciding to pursue a career in music. After covering several songs by popular artists on Instagram, she posted her first original song on her page in December 2019. This brought her to the attention of record executive Don Jazzy, who signed her to his record label Mavin Records.
For Broken Ears is the debut extended play by Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Tems. It was produced primarily by Tems, along with production from Spax, Omeiza and Tejiri Akpoghene, and was released on 25 September 2020 by Leading Vibes Limited. It spawned front several hits in 2022, including "Higher" which was sampled on Future's number one Billboard Hot 100 hit "Wait for U" and "Free Mind" which debuted on the chart, gaining Tems her first solo appearance.
"Damages" is a song by Nigerian singer and record producer Tems. It was released on 17 September 2020. Written by Tems and produced by Spax, the song is the only single from Tems's first EP For Broken Ears, which was released on 25 September 2020.
Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong, known professionally as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He has produced for high-profile pop artists including Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, and Doja Cat, among others.
Akano Samuel is a Nigerian record producer. He is known for producing "Damages" for Tems and executive producing Oxygene by Oxlade.
Wasteland is the second studio album by American R&B singer Brent Faiyaz. It was released on July 8, 2022, by Lost Kids, Venice Music and Stem Disintermedia. It was executive produced by Jonathan "Freeze" Wells. The production on the album was handled multiple producers including Jake One, DJ Dahi, The Neptunes and No I.D. among others. The album also features guest appearances by Drake, Tyler, the Creator, Alicia Keys, and more. A chopped and screwed remix by DJ Candlestick of the Chopstars was released in May 2023.
"Me & U" is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter Tems, released on 5 October 2023, through RCA Records. Written and produced by both GuiltyBeatz and Tems, It marks her first solo body of work since her extended play If Orange Was a Place (2021).
Born in the Wild is the upcoming debut studio album by Nigerian singer Tems. It is set for release in May 2024, via RCA Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Me & U" and "Not an Angel" which were released in 2023 respectively.
