10 Nigerian Musicians to Watch Out For in 2022

I have compiled a list of 10 Upcoming Nigerian musicians to watch out for in 2022. I will be reviewing their performance in 2021 and what to expect from them in 2022.

If there is one thing certain about the Nigerian entertainment industry, it is the number of young talents it produces yearly. From actors, actresses, musicians and even comedians, Nigeria has an unlimited amount of talented individuals.

While some of these upcoming Nigerian musicians have to struggle to get noticed, some are instantly blessed with chart-topping hits. In an industry that is hard to break into and even harder to remain in, some young musicians have proven that they have everything it takes to make their mark on the industry.

Below are 10 Nigerian musicians to watch out for in 2022:

1. Fave Szn

Fave is definitely one of the biggest breakout stars of 2021 and one of the Nigerian musicians to watch out for in 2022. Her single "Baby Riddim" was one of the biggest and viral songs in the past year.

Fave started her singing career as an independent artist with just a couple of singles. This was until she got noticed by rap legend Olamide, who enlisted her as a collaborator on 2 songs on his album UY Scuti.

The album gave Fave much-needed exposure in the music industry and a record deal with Empawa. She released her first major body of work "Riddim 5" some days ago. The 5 track E.P already has over 40 thousand streams on Boomplay and over 16 million streams on Audiomack.

2. Victony

At just 20 years old, Victony is one of the new generation superstars of the Nigerian music industry. The young singer/rapper started getting industry buzz early on in 2021 with his E.P Saturn and Dark Times. Victony almost got his career truncated in a ghastly car accident in 2021.

Fortunately, he survived the accident but lost the use of his legs for months and had to be confined to a wheelchair. He proved that the accident would not be the end of his career, he was featured on the Mayorkun hit song "Holy Father".

Victony's vocal delivery and chorus on Holy Father makes the song one of the biggest songs of 2021 and shows that we all should be ready for the musical wonder that is Victony.

3. Mohbad

Mohbad is an Afrobeats singer who is currently signed to Naira Marley's Marlian Music. The singer broke into the limelight in 2020 with his hit song KPK featuring producer Mohrexy. He continued his good run with another hit single "Feel Good" in 2021. Feel Good has over 5 million streams on Boomplay. With a number of hit songs to his name, I hope Mohbad can finally put out an Album or E.P in 2022.

4. Dai Verse

Dai Verse is a young, gifted singer and songwriter whose single Cocaine made him a viral sensation in 2021. The Alternative/R&B singer makes music that is definitely for people who appreciate good songwriting and vocal delivery.

His single "Cocaine" has been streamed over 7 million times on Audiomack, other good songs worth checking include Love and Sweet Daddy. Dai Verse is definitely one of those artists that are bound to have a long-lasting career.

5. Buju

Buju has been around for a while but the young singer-songwriter eventually made a major breakthrough in 2021. Buju collaborated with some of the biggest Nigerian musicians in 2021. He created hits with Wizkid, Timaya, Basketmouth, Blaqbonez and Ladipoe.

Buju is known for catchy hooks and vocals and has struck a chord in the hearts of Nigerian music fans. He released his first project titled "Sorry I'm Late" in 2021. The E.P has been streamed over 7 million times on Boomplay and over 24 million streams on Audiomack. Buju's creativity is not one to be taken lightly, we should expect an album Buju in 2022.

6. Portable

Street singer/rapper Portable is one of the surprise musical sensations of 2021. The singer's career took off in December 2021 after the release of his song "Zazuu Zeh" featuring Olamide and Pocolee.

The viral street jam became a national hit. It was made popular by the "Zazuu Zeh' slang that perforated pop culture from the hoods of Lagos. Portable proved he is not a one-hit-wonder by putting out 2 new songs "Ogo Forever" and "All eyes on me" in the first few weeks of 2022. His breakout single "Zazuu Zeh" already has over 5 million streams on Boomplay and 11 million streams on Audiomack.

7. Dimi Keye

Singing Sensation Dimi Keye is definitely an artist to look out for in 2022. The Cyprus based Nigerian singer already has two E.Ps to his name. His first E.P Afrocentric was released in 2021, it featured hit songs like Palay and Oloson. Afrocentric currently has over 6 thousand streams on Audiomack.

Dimi Keye returned with his second musical offering titled Vibe Sessions in the same year. With songs like Pull Up featuring Sai and Tempted 2 touch, Dimi has shown how versatile he can be with his style. He effortlessly switches from the popular Afrobeats to Alternative Pop with an infusion of Dancehall music. I definitely look forward to what the currently independent artist has to offer in 2022.

8. Ria Sean

Ria Sean is part of a select group of female musical talents taking the Nigerian music industry by storm. Ria is currently signed to Aristokrat Records, she released her critically acclaimed debut E.P "Fluid" in 2021. The project which is a blend of AfroPop, R&B and Soul music shows the singer songwriter's versatility. Her debut E.P currently has over 12 thousand streams on Audiomack. We should expect more music and a possible album from her in 2022.

9. Magixx

Magixx is a 23-year-old singer unveiled by Mavin Records as their new artist in 2021. The artist's unveiling also came with a release of his debut E.P "Magixx". Magixx effortlessly fuses Afrobeats and Trap in his music and has got over 3 million streams on Audiomack. I can't wait to see what Don Jazzy and the Mavin Records have in store for Magixx in 2022. If we are to judge by the careers of previous Mavin artists, we should expect great things from the young singer.

10. Oladapo

Oladapo is a 22-year-old Afro-Fusion singer signed to Sony Music. He released his debut E.P  "Blind"in 2021. The E.P which featured the hit lead single Alone, not only showcases Oladapo's songwriting ability but also his vocal dexterity. Blind has currently been streamed over 100 Thousand streams on Boomplay. 

Other artists worthy of mentioning include AV who gave us the hit song "Big Thug Boys" in 2021 and industry newcomer Asake who currently has one of the biggest songs "Omo Ope" in the country. With many Nigerian musicians to watch out for in 2022, It looks like a great year for fans of Naija music.

You might also be interested in the top 10 Nigerian albums of 2021.