Picking the 10 best songs that rocked 2013 is like searching for 10 songs that hardly stayed on the music chart for and well listened to by music fans.
With up and coming acts giving the old hands a run for their money, the Nigerian music scene is flooded with music that would have given any heart a good dance exercise but then, somehow, these 10 artists were able to distinguish themselves with their songs, making them our top 10 best for the year 2013.
10. Eminado: Tiwa Savage, featuring Don Jazzy. The single came in May. Sitting at number nine in the Mavin songstress 19 track album list. But it was not until the video, directed by extra-gifted film maker, Clearance Peters, trumped the airwaves in November did it sink down hot and hard in Naija’s music chart. The song, with its powerful hook, remained at the top of many music charts for weeks.
9. Koma Roll: Tilla man, featuring Burna Boy, Iyanya, Ice Prince and Phyno. The single sizzles with talents, especially from featured acts, nailed even harder by the tongue-twisting verses delivered by Ice Prince and Phyno. Tillaman, who is relatively on the up and coming list, released the song remix and video in May but it endured till the end of the year, making it a party favourite and relentless club banger.
8. Rihan: Orezi. The song captured listeners as soon as it was released. Orezi, who is a 2012 Channel O Best Ragga Danceall nominee, no doubt is a success story with her earlier singles, “Booty” Bounce and “Emoti”doing well on the airwaves. Orezi, who showed a surprising strong voice in February, with the video even more magnetic, had in the song a model who looked so much like American singer, Rihana.
7. Emi ni Baller: Chidinma featuring Illbliss and Tha Suspect. Emi ni Baller is Chidinma’s second running hit song after Kedike, which echoed in 2012. The song rode on the back of a powerful video released in January, which saw the petite framed singer flaunt in rich designer costumes featuring her music pals, Illbliss and Tha Suspect. The strong chorus is magnetic and it further cements Chidinma as a lady crooner that is far from going away.
6. Durosoke: Olamide. Lyricists and bad boy, Olamide, literally, came with this powerful punch in July. The single, with its seductive upward-downward dance movements, leaves little to your imagination. It was a instant hit, further fastening Olamide as one of Nigeria’s most sought after artistes. Duroske turns out to be a pandora’s box of blessings, securing Olamide and his producers to several award nominations, including The Headies.
5. Sho lee: Sean Tizzle: It was released back in February but it could be mistaken as a hit dropped only a few weeks ago. That is how infectious Tizzle’s Sho lee ravaged fans. The single, with strong rhymes and powerful beats, completes every Disk Jockey chart. Clubs ravaged with it for months and it is still running on the music top charts. The single catapulted Tizzle from relative obscurity to international stages.
4. Limpopo: Kcee: This single was Kcee’s magic wand for the year. It made telecoms giant, MTN, come racing for him. He was irresistible in clubs, gals fell in love over and over again. His regaling dance movements became a name. He just couldn’t stop. Limpopo came in March but like Tizzle’s Sho lee, you’d think it just hit the airwaves. And true to every good song, it has laced him to multiple award nominations.
3. Personally: P-Square. Thumped a very clear message: that the influx of new talents in the music industry could never upstage them. After mind numbing success of Alingo that took 2012, the Okoye brothers returned in June with stark images of the late pop god, Michael Jackson, in a gripping dance-drenched video. They stomped straight into the heart of fans, keeping their beats spectacularly alive. PSquare forever remains “personally” with their fans.
2. Caro: Star boy featuring Wizkid and LAX. Love is such a beautiful story to tell and it was told exceptionally by Wizkid and fast rising Star boy act, LAX in this sizzling number. Caro once again re-echoes Wizkid’s opening skills. It is a stripping song about the search for a mystery girl: completely gripping listeners when it hit airwaves in August. It’s a dance number that could get a DJ shot if missed in raving clubs. A beautiful performance that not only showed brilliance on the part of the acts but the transformation that happens to a song when driven by a gripping story.
1. Ada Ada: Flavour. The highlife singer emerged god overall this year in this classic piece that has left him a world stage of swaying worshippers. Flavour knew this song was going to be a hit and aptly prepared for it. The music video, shot in high definition by Clearance Peters,who rolled a true to life wedding of a classic girl with ladies in waiting. Weddings nationwide match to this song with non Ibos effortlessly singing along. Flavour proves once again that talent runs in his veins and beats in his heart. The song was released in June and still topping the music charts at the moment.
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