Top 10 Nigerian Albums of 2022

The industry experienced consistent album releases halfway through 2022, with a noticeable rise in quality. This rekindled listeners' excitement for upcoming releases from their favorite artists and sparked discussions about the best albums of the year.The Nigerian music industry received quality projects in 2022, ranging from pop to hip-hop to alternative to r&b, and choosing the best of the lot is no simple task.

Making a list like this gives us the chance to recognize albums that may not be commercial successes, but stand out for their excellence.

These albums were evaluated based on their Success, Impact, and Quality.

10. Bahd ~ Falz

Falz's album Bahd, which was released on June 9th, 2022, continued his musical phenomenon in Nigeria. His sixth studio album, Bahd, features incredible musicians like Tiwa Savage, L.A.X., and BNXN. Nice songs on the album included "Kneel Down," "Sun Flower," "Pull Up," and "Inside." A good single, "Gentleman," would have been better realized if it had been placed correctly. Knee Down, Inside, and Ice Cream stand out among the excellent production, mixing, and sound engineering.

Rating: 7.2/10

9. That Guy ~ MI Abaga 

M.I brings together Afrobeats artists from various eras in "The Guy" as he explores themes of love, gratitude, masculinity, and mental health while also venting. M.I. has a variety of skills, but despite their outstanding quality, he has somehow managed to keep his production abilities out of the spotlight. With the album "The Guy," in which he co-produced six songs, including the standout one, "Bigger," things might have changed. Overall, M.I is one of those Nigerian musicians who never produces a subpar album, and his most recent release, "The Guy," is yet another satisfying body of work. It might still be too early to make a prediction, but it will take a lot of generosity on my part to place in the top five.

Rating: 7.4/10

8. Catch me if you can ~ Adekunle Gold  

On February 4th, Adekunle Gold released his album. The album 2022 features songs like It is What It Is, Sinner, and High in addition to top performers like Davido, Lucky Daye, and Ty Dola. This album is incredibly well-rounded sonically. Although the production on "Afro Pop Vol. 1" may go down in history, this album discovers a different way to create high-quality sound.

On "High," "AG Baby," and "Okay," he introduced fans to the elegance of balance. Basically, R&B and Pop are covered. 

Rating: 7.4/10

7. The Brothers keeper ~ Chike

Chike attempts to establish himself as a Popstar and a mainstream act in "The Brother's Keeper." While some of the songs on his debut album, like "Nakupenda" and "If You No Love Me," are essentially Pop songs, he makes a deliberate and hurried decision to move away from the key elements that made listeners fall in love with him. The album gave Chike plenty of room to experiment with new sounds while maintaining the characteristics of his music that his fans have grown to love. Genre(s): Ballad, Afropop, Contemporary R&B, Dancehall, Afrofusion. Radiating on the diverse sound of these genres. to explore issues such as love, relationships, pains, regrets, and self-worth while also sending a lyrical message to those who don't feel loved or have anyone to show them love.

Rating: 7.4/10

6. Chapter X ~ Mavins

At Mavin Records, it was always going to be a memorable year. What better way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Africa's most prominent indigenous label than with a Mavin All-Star Project, a staple of its illustrious past. Chapter X is an explosive Afropop masterpiece that has all the potential to become a classic of the genre by fusing the talent, nuance, and promise of Mavin's new generation of artists. Chapter X is a 10-track project that is as diverse in theme as it is in performance. It was preceded by Overloading and Won Da Mo, both of which peaked at the top of all significant music charts in Nigeria.

Rating: 7.5/10

5. Theta ~ Brymo

The eighth letter in the Greek alphabet is called theta. Its use in American college films involving fraternities is probably more prevalent. Uncertainty surrounds Brymo's use of the phrase, but a fan theorizes that it coincidentally refers to Brymo's eighth album. Records like "Pim Pim," "Dem No Born Us Together," and "Love Na Drug '' have the feeling of being written from Brymo's incredibly personal perspective on the subjects they are based on. On the songs "Love Na Drug" and "For You," when he sings about love, it sounds very intimate, as if he's drawing on past experience. Brymo is one of only two well-known Nigerian musicians who can write songs with fictional plots that sound like non-fiction films. The other is ASA.

Rating: 7.8/10

4. Boy Alone ~ Omah lay

When Omah Lay's eagerly anticipated album was released on July 15th, he didn't let his fans down. It included songs that for months dominated the Nigerian music scene and still have fans bopping to the beat. Some of the tracks from the 14-track album that caught people's attention include Woman, Soso, Understand, and Attention.

An outstanding debut record is "Boy Alone." One of the first mainstream albums from Nigeria to examine the phenomenon of mental health on this scale, every component of it blends seamlessly into the breathtaking whole. Any claim would be put to the test over time, but as of right now, this album is unquestionably one of 2022's most significant releases.

Rating: 7.9/10

3. Love Damini ~ Burnaboy

The album marked the start of a trifecta, a flawless three-album run that served as Burna Boy's career's pinnacle. Although Twice As Tall was another magnificent display of artistry, panache, and swashbuckling musicality from the stalwart of the most talented and versatile artist of his generation—and one of Nigeria's most versatile artists to have ever lived—African Giant is unquestionably his magnum opus.That was his "golden run," which every creative experiences once they have practiced and mastered their profession for 10,000 hours. The outcome is known as the "midas touch," which embodies the ideas of self-awareness, confidence, and unlimited belief in oneself after having earned such belief. Then it is used to produce avant-garde art.

Rating: 8.0/10

2. Playboy ~ Fireboy Dml

In his third album, Fireboy takes off the lover's robe that he had been wearing for his previous two albums. As he demands to be given a little breathing room, he transforms from everyone's favorite lover boy to a superstar rolling stone. He may explore the flashy and noisy soundscape that captures the superstar Playboy lifestyle he displays on the record thanks to the production.

As someone who prefers a thematic approach to content, Fireboy was able to present a larger-than-life bad boy figure who was exquisitely accentuated by sexually explicit love songs and feel good music

Rating: 8.2/10

1 Mr. Money With The Vibe ~ Asake

On September 8, 2022, Asake released his renowned album Mr. Money with the Vibe, which included Fuji, Afrobeat, and Afro-Classic music. It featured popular songs including Terminator, Organize, Joha, and the Burna Boy-featuring Sungba remix. Throughout the course of his debut album, Asake alternates between being a dreamer and an achiever. He can also be both at times, as evidenced by his faith in God. The best album to date from Nigeria was released last year by Asake. Since 1999, there have been several outstanding debut albums in Nigerian music, and Mr. Money With The Vibe feels like another one of them. It has a great chance of becoming classic.

As a successful and excellent album experience which propelled a career, this is Nigeria’s No. 1 album of 2022.

Rating: 8.5/10