best modern naija pop album of the 20s

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wizkid, burna boy, davido, rema, tems and asake excluded to make it interesting

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Fireboy DML - Apollo (2020) 2
Omah Lay - Boy Alone (2022) 2
Ruger - Ru the World (2023) 1
BNXN - Sincerely, Benson (2023) 1
Other 1
Cruel Santino - Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN (2022) 0
Adekunle Gold - Catch Me If You Can (2022) 0
Joeboy – Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic (2021) 0
Ayra Starr - The Year I Turned 21 (2024) 0
Victony - Stubborn (2024) 0
CKay - Sad Romance (2022) 0


gospodin simmel, Saturday, 25 October 2025 10:20 (two weeks ago)

Ashamed to say I've heard exactly one of these

Now read it backwards. (dog latin), Saturday, 25 October 2025 12:23 (two weeks ago)

i think a poll with the big names included would still be very interesting

ufo, Saturday, 25 October 2025 13:08 (two weeks ago)

i have heard about half of these and my favourite is apollo

ufo, Saturday, 25 October 2025 13:09 (two weeks ago)

Forgot I'd heard Apollo. Good album, but Afro-pop, for me, is more of a "tracks" genre

Now read it backwards. (dog latin), Saturday, 25 October 2025 13:16 (two weeks ago)

Interesting list, though I agree with ufo that a full look back at what increasingly feels like a purple patch for naija would be cool (though I'd ignore the decade mark and start it early enough to include African Giant, maybe even Outside).

Like others I haven't really engaged with much here as an album. Boy Alone is really the only one I know in full, though I remember liking the Cruel Santino one too.

rob, Saturday, 25 October 2025 13:24 (two weeks ago)

yeah, maybe a follow up poll with the big names but with multiple album options for each.

but i wanted to discuss this second tier because it gets significantly less attention and I think there is some really accomplished and promising stuff here. my favorites are bnxn, ckay, ruger and omah.

gospodin simmel, Saturday, 25 October 2025 14:00 (two weeks ago)

Apollo, Cruel Santino or Omah Lay. I think the Ruger album from this year is the best album he's ever done. I might have voted for Teni - Wondaland if that was an option.

Frederik B, Saturday, 25 October 2025 14:18 (two weeks ago)

yeah I don't want to damn it with faint praise: Boy Alone is excellent and, impt for the poll, it's excellent as an album.

I should try the Bnxn. I really liked the EP he put out before Sincerely, but I never listened to the album. I see Taves guests on it. He's got some fantastic tracks, though I don't think I ever posted about him on ilm (too much ama on the rolling thread for me ;)

xp hm I should check out the new Ruger too then

rob, Saturday, 25 October 2025 14:22 (two weeks ago)

new ruger is indeed very good.

wondaland is a good shout!

another candidate is llona's homeless.

i just figured llona and omah lay are the closest things to 6lack i heard. this is what i find most interesting about this period of afropop. it is developing rnb niches that i really enjoy and dont hear explored elswhere.

6lack has a bunch of afrobeats features (rema, starr, gold) so im probably not trippin

gospodin simmel, Saturday, 25 October 2025 23:26 (two weeks ago)

like ruger, the new bnxn might also be his best

gospodin simmel, Saturday, 25 October 2025 23:29 (two weeks ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Saturday, 8 November 2025 00:01 (yesterday)

need to re-listen to a lot of these. boy alone or apollo. best producer-led album was juls' 'sounds of my world'

harper valley paul thomas anderson (voodoo chili), Saturday, 8 November 2025 00:12 (yesterday)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Sunday, 9 November 2025 00:01 (ten hours ago)

Those two are the best, though I'm sad nobody voted for Cruel Santino.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhIj4NIgYgc

Frederik B, Sunday, 9 November 2025 08:48 (one hour ago)


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