As we say goodbye to 2022, let’s take a moment to relive some of the significant wins in the Nigerian entertainment space. This year saw the underdogs rise effortlessly to stardom at, literally, the speed of light. Also, most of our favorites made bullish moves, made history, and broke the internet. Everyone was stunned by specific announcements.
How many can you recall?
Afrobeats was well represented in the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack, thanks to Tems, Burna Boy, Fireboy DML, CKay, Rema, Bloody Civilian
In the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack, 6 Nigerian music acts notably represented the motherland, sharing their beautiful sounds to the world. Tems took the world by storm with her “No Woman, No Cry,” Fireboy DML immersed us deep in culture with his “Coming Back for You,” Burna Boy gave us the gift that is “Alone,” CKay expressed his unique sound in “Anya Mmiri“, Bloody Civilian and Rema thrilled us with “Wake Up“, with Rema showing off his rap skills in “Pantera.”
Tems bagged two BET Awards
In June 2022, Tems snagged three nominations for the BET Awards and ended up going home with two of them. This fast-rising singer, songwriter, and producer was nominated for Best Collaboration with Justin Bieber and Wizkid, Best International Act, and Best New Artist. Tems won the Best Collaboration and Best International Act categories in one night. A queen we stan!
P-Square’s Reunion
After pursuing individual music careers for more than four years, the Okoye brothers, who gave us hits like “Do Me,” “No One Like You,” and “Personally,” announced their reunion tour to 100 cities in May. Indeed, “Peter and Paul, dem be one, nor be two”.
Burna Boy Sold Out the 20k+ Madison Square Garden
Since 2012 when “Like to Party” dominated airwaves, Burna Boy has continued to grow in leaps and bounds. Fast-forward to 2021, he won the Best World Music Album at the 63rd Grammys, after getting a nomination the previous edition. He’s bagged BET awards, sold out prestigious locations, and performed in virtually every continent. In April, Burna Boy sold out the prestigious Madison Square Garden in the U.S.
Wizkid also Sold Out the Madison Square Garden
What a way to show the world that it’s Afrobeats time! In November, the Afrobeats heavyweight performed to a full MSG, thrilling fans with hits from his latest album “More Love, Less Ego“, as well as taking fans down memory lane to where it all started over a decade ago.
Big Mood 😎 #WizkidxMSG pic.twitter.com/AHxftPHQfU
— TEAMWIZKID WORLDWIDE (@TeamWizkidFc) November 17, 2022
Afrobeats Kept Going Viral
CKay‘s “Love Nwantiti” took over the world in 2021, thanks to TikTok, it was only right that other Nigerian stars were to follow suit; it was only a matter of time. This year, artists like Oxlade and Kizz Daniel put the Nigerian music industry on the global stage with their hit singles “Ku Lo Sa” (in June) and “Buga” (in May). These two songs had the world on a chokehold. They had the world coming closer and, of course, going low, low, low, low.
Nollywood reigned supreme
How would we have made it through the year without the help of some of our beloved Nollywood films and series? This year, we were treated to nonstop Nollywood entertainment. Titles like “King of Thieves (Agẹṣinkólé),” “Man of God,” “Glamour Girls,” “Blood Sisters,” “Anikulapo,” and more recently, “Far From Home,” kept us on the edge of our seats. The majority of Nollywood films that debuted this year received rave reviews, and some even went on to become award-winning, highest-grossing, and chart-topping films.
Davido was on the Qatar 2022 World Cup Official Anthem + He performed at the finals
Another celebratory moment for the Nigerian music industry! Afrobeats artist Davido sang “Hayya Hayya (Better Together),” the 2022 Qatar World Cup anthem, alongside Aisha and Trinidad’s Cardona. Davido has become the first Nigerian artist and one of the few Africans to achieve such a feat.
Mavins dropped an All-Star Album and Gave Fans a Show in December!
For the first time in a long while, Mavin Records hosted a Mavin All-Star concert at the annual Livespot X Festival on Friday, December 16. This comes on the heels of their all-star album, “Chapter X.”
The Mavin OGs—Don Jazzy, Dr Sid, Tiwa Savage, Reekado Banks, and Di’ja—and the rising stars Rema, Crayon, Boy Spyce, Bayanni, Ladipoe, Magixx, Ayra Starr, and Johnny Drille all came together to give an electrifying performance of every one of their songs produced under the record label.
