Naija music

What is Naija music?

Naija music refers to songs from West Africa, specifically Nigeria. It is used to describe songs that have beats and sounds borrowed from local Nigerian ethnic groups such Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. It dates back to the 1960s with some of its pioneers being famous Nigerian musician Fela Kuti and Olando Julius Ekemode.

Naija incorporates several different genres that include; Afro beats, gospel, rap and RnB among others. For instance, when referring to gospel music, Hip-hop and Afro beats songs from Nigeria, then they all take the prefix ‘Naija’.

Over the years,Naija has evolved and gone global thanks to new generation artists who’ve adopted and made it their own. The rapid growth of the West African sound has seen some global artists like Beyonce jump on the trend. In 2019, Beyonce released The Lion King: The Gift album with Naija influence that featured artists such as Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, Wizkid, P2J, Yemi Alade, Maleek Berry, Tiwa Savage, and Shatta Wale.

In December 2021, Nigerian singer Fireboy DML and English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran released ‘Peru’. ‘Peru’ set a new record becoming the first song from a Nigerian artist to rank at #1 on the Afrobeats UK chart for four weeks in a row. Today, there are several Nigerian artists that have conquered the world. Top of the list is Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido who are arguably three of the best Nigerian musicians at the moment. Burna Boy’s ‘Ye’ single got over 11.2 million streams from the United States while his fourth studio album African Giant was nominated for 'Best World Music Album' at the Grammy Awards.

Davido’s hit single 'Fall' became a top 20 radio hit in America, while Wizkid received numerous accolades thanks to his collaboration with Drake on ‘One Dance’. One of Wizkid’s top achievements is entering into the Guinness Book of Records 2018 for featuring on the song. ‘One Dance’ is currently one of the most streamed songs on Spotify. He is the first West African artist to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

In Africa, Naija music is among the top genres alongside Amapiano, Hip-hop, Bongo music, RnB and Zouk. Nigeria’s huge population, the country’s culture of supporting their own and hard work from artists and other stakeholders are some of the reasons why the genre has been trending in the continent. Despite competition from the likes of Amapiano, the West African sound has stood strong, providing all indications that it is here to stay regardless of any new trends.

What is the latest music in this genre?
- B. D’OR – Burna Boy ft Wizkid;
- Yard – Poco Lee ft. Bella Shmurda, Black Sherif & ----- Alpha P;
- Mood – Wizkid;
- Alcohol –Joeboy;
- Understand – Omah Lay;
- Crazy Tings – Tems;
- So Bad – Simi ft Joeboy;
- Hold Me – Dice Ailes ft. Tiwa Savage;
- Hate Me – Olamide ft. Wande Coal;
- Hustle – Reminisce ft. BNXN (Buju) & D Smoke;
- Yakasufe – Oladips;
- Mufasa – Tekno;
- Player- DJ Lamp ft. Double Silencer & Endless;
- Sare – Simi;
- Commander – Blaqbonez;
- Try – T.I Blaze.

Who are the best artists in this genre?
Nigeria’s music industry has some of the big names in Africa. The top artists in this genre include; Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Joeboy, Omah Lay, Tiwa Savage, Tems, Yemi Alade, Simi, Mr Eazi, Flavour, Naira Marley, Ayra Starr, Ice Prince, Patoranking, Olamide, D-banj, P-Square, Fireboy DML, Banky W., Niniola, Kizz Daniel, Ladipoe and Timaya among others.

For the Nigerian gospel music industry, the top artists include; Sinach, Mercy Chinwo, Nathaniel Bassey, Ada Ehi, Frank Edwards, Eben, Tope Alabi, Lara George, Nosa, Joe Praise, Tim Godfrey, Samsong, Jahdiel, TY Bello, Nikii Laoye and Dunsin Oyekan among others.
How to listen and download Naija music on Mdundo.com
Naija music is available for free download and streaming on mdundo.com. To listen to this music on Mdundo, visit mdundo.com and search for your favorite songs under this category. A catalog of available MP3 music from top artists will then be provided for you to select the songs you want. You can download/listen to the latest Naija music on Mdundo through your phone, laptop or any other device that can access the internet.

Why choose mdundo.com?
Mdundo offers the latest MP3 music for free streaming and download. All you need is a feature phone and you can start listening to some of the best Nigerian music from your top artists. Additionally, you can also enjoy DJ mixes specially curated to meet your needs. The songs are also easy to download and do not need a lot of data since they have been customized for users with feature phones. By using Mdundo, you help your favorite artiste grow while at the same time contributing to a platform that seeks to increase legal access to music in Africa.

Stream/Download new MP3 songs online. Find the latest Naija music on Mdundo.com for free.