Before the release of Afrobeats tunes such as Buga, Calm Down, Sability, and Friday Night, which have all taken the world by storm, music lovers had a good time with some well-crafted tunes by Ghanaian and Nigerian showstoppers.
The lyrics and instrumentals on these songs resonated well with music lovers who did and would not hide their admiration or possibly sing along anytime the melodies were dropped, either on the radio, in pubs, or in clubs.
Call them “oldies but goldies”, these records still sound fresh and brand new and can rub shoulders with any trending or future compositions in the Afrobeats genre.
Painkiller (Sarkodie ft Runtown)
Released in 2017, this track is a good representation of a perfect Ghana-Nigeria collaboration. It was one of the works off Sarkodie‘s Highest Album, which had songs including Glory, Your Waist, and Far Away.
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The serenading chorus and contribution by Nigerian Afro-pop singer, Runtown, made the song one of the most popular works on that project put together by T’spize, a Nigerian music producer.
Perhaps one will appreciate the intricacies of this song, right from the lyrics to the instrumentals, to appreciate this enticing rhythm.
Onumade (Stonebwoy)
‘Onumade’ is a native Ghanaian word that translates into ‘Your Thing’. It had the now ‘Into the Future’ crooner working with one of Ghana’s finest rappers, Tinny.
Coming from the stables of Samini Music in 2012, Stonebwoy and Tinny joined forces to create magic on the song, which was well-accepted by fans. Both artistes flexed their vocal muscles on the tune, which is an adulation of women in general.
Ten Over 10 (Naeto C )
This song does not require too much introduction, as the title summarizes it all. Indeed, things were “not the same” on this upbeat soundtrack, which disc jockeys (DJs) love to play more than once.
Released in 2010, it was one of the singles off Naeto C’s third studio album, Super C Season. Ten Over Ten is described as a state of being cool, tight, on point, or anything well-rated. The song did not disappoint, as it was rated highly with lots of positive reviews.
Woju (Kizz Daniel)
Just like other high-tempo compositions released in 2016, Woju always takes fans to the dancefloor. It is a love-dance track that gained lots of traction in its prime and is still relevant to date.
Nigerian singer Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, known on stage as Kizz Daniel, proved his mettle on stage with this tune, which fans can vibe with on any day.
It was a product of G-Worldwide Entertainment Records, which gathered thousands of views on streaming platforms. Perhaps it will elicit nostalgia when played back.
On Top Your Matter (Wizkid)
This is another vibe-filled song that will satisfy listening pleasure. It was a track from Wizkid‘s debut album, Ayo, released in 2014.
With sweet instrumentals, this track is irresistible on powerful indoor or car loudspeakers.
As long as Afrobeats continues to reign, there will be more heartwarming songs such as those mentioned here, and it will be essential for producers and artistes to create songs that will be reference points for years to come.
Kudos to the old, existing, and upcoming artistes sustaining Africa’s new musical revolution.