Do you think you have enough Nigerian album knowledge to kill this quiz? Prove yourself:
2021 was indeed a very eventful year. In the spirit of remembering how this year was, let’s tell you which 2021 Nigerian album you are.
Take the quiz:
You have 2 minutes to prove your unscrambling skills and also your level of Nigerian album knowledge.
Let’s go!
If you haven’t listened to at least 10 of these Nigerian albums and EPs, there’s no way you’re not a grandparent.
Everybody loves Wizkid. Or so they claim. With the release of his new studio album, Made In Lagos, everyone is claiming to be a day one fan. This quiz will separate the real fans from the people trying to ride the wave.
[donation]
Are you one of those Nigerians who only ever listens to the singles that are popping on the radio? If that’s the case, this quiz will stress you out. If you actually jam Nigerian albums, then you should have no problem identifying them based on just three songs.
Give it a shot:
Are you a true lover of Nigerian music? Do you actually pay attention to albums or only focus on the songs that hit the radio? Well, this quiz is here to test your knowledge. Identify 10 out of these 15 Nigerian album covers we’ve pixelated to prove yourself.
Go ahead:
About 7 years ago, BlackMagic landed his breakout hit with “Repete” — a song that announced him as a star to watch. While he followed up that timeless gem with a slew of other solid songs, none of them ever caught on quite like they deserved to.
With the start of this brand new decade, the versatile star looks to be on a mission to redefine himself, and he accomplishes that with his strongest and most cohesive body of work to date, Blackmagic Version 3.0 (Starving Artist).
On the 13-track project, BlackMagic shows off his impressive range, both as a performer and a writer. He seamlessly alternates genres, sings rather beautifully, raps with gusto and thoughtfully tackles a bunch of complex themes.
More vulnerable and introspective than most Nigerian artists tend to be, BlackMagic raps about navigating depression (“Blue”), fighting for his sanity amidst relentless scrutiny (“Koole”) and our flawed government (“Ponmo”)
Like with any good body of work, BlackMagic isn’t the only reason this project works so well. The impeccable production work from Xela, Bond, Ikon and Spax help elevate his words, ensuring that the album never feels boring or repetitive.
On the album’s Tems-assisted opener. “Soon”, BlackMagic takes out time to apologise for taking so long to release the project, saying he was “chasing inspiration”. Considering the outstanding outcome, it’s safe to say that the wait was more than worth it.
Listen to Blackmagic Version 3.0 (Starving Artist):
Angélique Kidjo is easily one of Africa’s most influential artists, and her acclaimed album, Celia — a moving tribute to iconic Cuban singer, Celia Cruz — was about as stunningly executed as any album that dropped last year.
That being said, even she seemed shocked that her project beat out Burna Boy’s career-defining opus, African Giant for the ‘Best World Music Album’ Grammy. Taking to the stage to accept her fourth Grammy, she thoughtfully dedicated her win to the afro-fusion star.
She said:
“This is for Burna Boy, [he] is among those young artists [who] came from Africa [who] are changing the way our continent is perceived.”
An instant favourite from the moment it dropped, Burna Boy’s African Giant not only ended 2019 as the most-streamed album in Africa, but it was also the most critically acclaimed, earning nearly unanimous praise from music critics around the world.
So, that begs the main question: If a Nigerian album that broke chart records, had tangible cultural impact and was fervently praised by fans and music critics alike couldn’t bag a Grammy, then what kind of Nigerian album can?
It definitely doesn’t help that ‘Best World Music Album’, the category Nigerian artists are most likely to be lumped into, is extremely flawed. ’World music’ is a borderline racist term for music that doesn’t fit the European or American mould.
When you take a look at some of the artists that have won in the past — from Ladysmith Black Mambazo to Soweto Gospel Choir — it’s pretty clear that when it comes to this category, voters don’t care for projects with pop-leaning sounds or influences.
Based on the kind of projects that typically get nominated, a Nigerian album by anyone without the last name Kuti would stick out like a sore thumb in any year, making a triumph in this category seem damn near improbable.
That’s why a win for African Giant — a project that fuses afrobeat, dancehall, pop, r&b and hip-hop — would have marked an exciting new direction for the outdated category, but it seems we’ll just have to keep waiting for the Grammys to catch up.
It’s about time the Grammys introduced an Afrobeat category — honouring projects that are predominantly influenced by the genre Fela Kuti pioneered. Afrobeat has been immensely influential, and it’s insulting to still have it exist under the flawed umbrella of ‘world music’.
