10 Most Popular Nigeria Love Song of 2015
Nigerians are a beautiful bunch of people. Often times people wonder how we have been able to remain so happy despite all our travails.
I think it might be due to the fact that we are one of the most loving people on earth. We are in love with ourselves, our neighbour and even our government especially when they are wrong.
We easily forget and so it is easy for us to forgive.
Another Valentine’s day has passed and so with it comes the most important question.
Which songs made the top list of love songs for Nigerian music in 2016?
Here is my top list
THE FINALISTS
15. Only You by Shola
The reggae-filled love song by Shola is a beautiful and well-executed love song; following the traditional structure of a verse, rise and chorus. A well-structured song but the song’s rhythm eventually fell flat but it’s still a great listen and we expect more from Shola. The song also had a beautiful and tender bridge at the end that raised hairs on the back of our neck. Having one of the highest scores for lyrics, ‘Only You’ is definitely a beautiful song. You can read the review of ‘Only you’.
Lyrics: 7.59 Melody:7.95
Artistry: 6.25 Appeal: 7.0
Only You — 88.79%
14. Because of You by Masterkraft
‘Because of you’ is smooth, calm, tender, and ‘audially’ a fierce beauty, with a sweet lead guitar riff the apple of the eye. Masterkraft really delivered a beauty though with the fewest of words, and this love song just in time for the August break was a companion warming our ears wherever we went. With high scores for melody, appeal and artistry, ‘Because of you’ definitely made it on naijagoodmusic.com.
Lyrics: 4.75 Melody:8.5
Artistry: 7.25 Appeal: 8.58
Because of You — 89.08%
13. Beautiful Things by Nomoreloss
One of the eldest singers on this list, Nomoreloss’ name has been flying around the music scene for over a decade and this year he released over three singles. ‘Beautiful things’ was released earlier this year and it was true to its name. A song filled with wonderful lines, Nomoreloss stole our breath with this song.
Lyrics: 7.75 Melody: 7.0
Artistry: 6.85 Appeal: 7.5
Beautiful Things — 89.1%
12. Missing You by Meaku
A Contemporary R & B song, ‘Missing You’ is classy in sound, content and delivery scoring particularly high for it’s sophisticated melody. Meaku had a fine year and ‘Missing You’ is proof of his developing artistry.
Lyrics: 7.25 Melody: 7.98
Artistry: 7.0 Appeal: 6.95
Missing You — 89.18%
11. Femi by Mosa
Producer/Songwriter/Singer, Mosa, in early December gave us ‘Femi’, a song that celebrates commitment. The year 2015 had a lot of trends and memes, one of them being the Yoruba Demon(a name given to philandering Lagos men) trend. Mosa decided to celebrate commitment with ‘Femi’ as a reply to all the negativity thrown towards Yoruba Demons(Yoruba men were consistent victims). Scoring high in Melody and Artistry, ‘Femi’ is a climatic R&B rendition. You can read more on the review of‘Femi’.
Lyrics: 7.25 Melody: 7.98
Artistry: 7.0 Appeal: 6.95
Femi — 89.8%
THE TOP TEN NAIJA LOVE SONGS OF 2015
10. Wiser by Flavour ft Phyno & MI
Flavour released this Afro R&B song in the middle of 2015 with a colourful video. ‘Wiser’ is laidback, cool, urban, and cultural. The message is clear, the artistry is high-class. The song scored a remarkable high score for its appeal.
Lyrics: 5.25 Melody: 7.95
Artistry: 8.0 Appeal: 9.0
Wiser — 90.2%
9. Goddess by Slay
‘Goddess’ by Slay is one of a few newbies in this list; and the song is thumping with energy, with love. Slay has managed to capture our hearts while also moving our feet. ‘Goddess’ scored high points for its unforgettable melody and huge appeal. We hope to hear more music from Slay in 2016. You can read a review of ‘Goddess’.
Lyrics: 5.45 Melody: 8.25
Artistry: 7.98 Appeal: 9.0
Goddess — 90.68%
8. Lost by Kymo
Kymo formerly known as Hakym the dream has also changed his musical style. ‘Lost’ is a catchy love song, with beautiful moments laced all over the song from it’s relatable lyrics to its bouncing Eastern Africa House Beats. A very deserved entry in this list. Here is a more detailed review of ‘Lost’.
Lyrics: 7.95 Melody: 7.25
Artistry: 8.0 Appeal: 7.59
Lost — 90.79%
7. You Suppose Know by Bez
Bez whose name has become synonymous with good music and released ‘You suppose know’ this year. The song is so good, we felt we didn't deserve such high calibre music for free, we felt there was something we needed to give him in return. We are all supposed to know, and we gave him our hearts. Scoring a high mark in Artistry, one of the highest scores in Lyrics, and an all-around distinction in every other criterium, ‘You suppose know’ was a big love song in 2015, especially for its colloquial lyrics and refined music. Here’s a detailed review of ‘You suppose know’.
Lyrics: 7.5 Melody: 7.5
Artistry: 9.0 Appeal: 7.0
You Suppose Know — 91%
6. Love me Jeje by Ric Hassani
We personally can’t love this song jeje, Ric Hassani by chance or by sincere effort has found where we hurt most and vocally heals us there. ‘Love me Jeje’ has every semblance of a classic naija song, and if he releases a video and pushes this song beyond it’s stationary position, it stands to go really far. The song was a first of three quality singles Ric released this year along with his debut EP. With such a productive year behind him, ‘Love me Jeje’ by default of making this list, is a cherry on the pie.
Lyrics: 6.25 Melody: 8.75
Artistry: 8.25 Appeal: 8.5
Love me Jeje — 91.75%
5. All of a sudden by Omotayo
Very few people if any saw the Masterpiece that Omotayo would give us in 2015. Infact, he had been largely unheard of but Heartbreak & Lovesongs was undoubtedly the best EP of 2015. And with much pain, as a huge measure of responsibility, we had to select a song from the EP to make the list and this yoruba mid-tempo ballad was our choice. Omotayo’s music is amazing, a huge testament to the emerging crop of fine singers that are beginning to gain confidence and carving out their niche in the Naija Music Scene. You can purchase his EP here and below is an audio of ‘All of a sudden’ which is exclusive to naijagoodmusic.com.
Lyrics: 6.25 Melody: 9.0
Artistry: 9.25 Appeal: 8.0
All of a sudden — 92.5%
4. Love don’t lie by Johnny Drille
After his impressive cover of Di’ja’s hit single ‘Awww’, Johnny Drille followed up with ‘Love don’t lie’. And it’s true love don’t lie, but this single made us know more, that his talents don’t lie, his passion don’t lie, his sincerity to his craft and sound don’t lie. A versatile producer and smooth singer, Johnny Drille’s Afro Folk/Country sound cuts through the airwaves like knife through butter. ‘Love don’t lie’ scored high marks in every department with a particularly high score for Artistry and Lyrics. We know we would hear more love songs from Johnny in 2016 and they also wouldn’t lie.
Lyrics: 8.0 Melody: 7.15
Artistry: 9.25 Appeal: 8.5
Love don’t lie — 92.9%
3. Left for good by Waje
One of the biggest Reggae songs of 2015, and a potential cross-over hit, ‘Left for good’ is undoubtedly the Heartbreak Song of 2015. Employing the staccato rhythms of Reggae and the ever impressive patois of Dancehall Act, Patoranking, ‘Left for good’ had it all. From strings to neat lyrics, to a catchy hook, to an addictive bass line; it felt like Waje gave her all in the record, as she did in her relationship until her lover ‘Left for good’.
Lyrics: 6.2 Melody: 8.95
Artistry: 9.8 Appeal: 8.75
Left for good — 93.7%
2. Orente by Adekunle Gold
After releasing ‘Sade’ in 2014 and its viral nature in early 2015, the weight of expectation on Adekunle Gold’s shoulders were high. He had just been signed by Olamide, and hence pundits began to feed the rumor mill that Adekunle would switch sound. If he still intends to then he has disappointed us, ‘Orente’ is one of the best yoruba ballads released in years. In one night, the song had garnered close to eighty thousand downloads, was already every Lagos girl ringtone, was a playlist in supermarkets, on campuses, Orente was everywhere. Though, no small thanks to Baddo’s money, Orente was definitely the song that was missing in most of our lives. Thank you Adekunle Gold.
Lyrics: 8.05 Melody: 8.75
Artistry: 10.0 Appeal: 9.5
Orente — 96.3%