If 2023 was the year for music lovers, 2024 is the year for music yearners. It’s for those craving a taste of the endless releases they previously enjoyed. This thirst is explicitly concerning the release of EPs and LPs, as even though there was a steady supply of singles in Q1, projects were not as forthcoming. “The children cry for more”. Well, worry not. We at WeTalkSound, have put together a list of some of the most anticipated projects of the year and top projects to look out for in the rest of 2024. Let’s talk sound, baby (pun intended).
Born in The Wild – Tems (Release Date – May)
Do you remember Tems’ interview with Mr Morale himself, Kendrick Lamar, in August of last year for Interview Magazine, or are you – like every hip-hop head in a thousand-kilometre radius – too focused on his current rap beef? The answer matters little. What does matter is that said interview technically marked the beginning of her album rollout. It was followed up by her releasing the singles; Me & U in October and Not An Angel in December. A music video accompanied the former, featuring religious symbolism and some of Tems’ finest choreography.
In March, a listening party was held in Lagos, to which key industry players were invited. Finally, just a few days ago – and after a killer Coachella performance – the official album title and trailer were revealed. Suppose the trailer, accompanying Born In The Wild track, and previously released singles are anything to go by. In that case, we’re looking at a profound, introspective album that would explore everything from her beliefs to experiences with love and, possibly, a take on her environment growing up. It would also be interesting to see how much this project differs from If Orange Was A Place (2021), which was experimental and For Broken Ears (2020), her first and formative offering. Can somebody say, “Mother”?
Before September 12 – Bella Shmurda (Release Date – September 12)
Immortality via music is a state many artists strive for, but not many achieve. For Bella Shmurda, it is a state he seeks not for himself but for the memory of his late friend, Mohbad, through the release of two projects; EP- ‘Road 2 September 12’ (which is out this Friday) and album- ‘Before September 12’. He revealed this in an interview on UK Capital Xtra Radio earlier this year.
Given the weighty nature of his two singles post-Mohbad’s passing, My Brother, an out-and-out tribute, and Loner, a call for prayer and solace in his time of grief, we can trust Bella to succeed in his task of immortalization. It might be a challenging listen for quite a few, but how better to grieve than through heartfelt melodies from one Imole called ‘brother’? With September 12, 2024, making it a year since the bright star passed, we look forward to Bella’s new releases to provide succour.
Stubborn – Victony (Release Date – TBA)
Would it sound weird if one said their biggest motivation for this project is the potential artwork? If it does, then label us weirdos. From 2020’s Saturn to the record-breaking Outlaw (2022) and more recently, OHEMA, Victony’s releases feature some of the most creative use of illustration and animations in the Nigerian music industry. These designs, created by long-time collaborator Bolt The Designer, have an otherworldy sense, forging a persona that almost always reflects upon listening to said project or single.
It also helps that the music is just as incredible – if not more – as the artwork. On recent singles, Jaga Jaga (feat. Babyboy AV), which was a nationwide hit, No Joke, and Everything which samples Post Malone and Rae Sremmurd’s 2xDiamond-certified record, Sunflower, Victony shows that he is still very much in the business of exploring the subjects of love, heartbreak, and survival. It would be interesting to see what new sounds Victony comes with on Stubborn and how much a definer it might be of his legacy. Lest we forget, there’s the magic of a Victony rollout. The Charlie Chaplin-esque videos for My Darling + Angelus still live rent-free in our heads. Fingers crossed for Stubborn.
By Any Minz Necessary – Minz (Release Date – TBA)
Earlier in April, Head A&R for Chocolate City, 10Ten, tweeted, “Minz sounds like an evening at a beach in Lagos. It’s calm, fun, and so jiggy. I’m very optimistic that we have a new Lagos king”. This was itself a quoted response to WeTalkSound’s tweet on Minz’s soon-come album, By Any Minz, with a picture of 10Ten and Minz collaged with the now-iconic photo of Young Thug and Lil Durk in the studio. The hype is valid 1000%!
With a standout feature on Odunsi’s Crown Bounce and mellow deliveries – shaky chorus notwithstanding – on shadow (feat. 255) and BLESSING$, By Any Minz looks set to be a quality debut. We also look forward to how Minz intends to utilise the features on this project and the creative direction for accompanying visuals.
Morayo – Wizkid (Release Date – TBA)
Wizkid’s project drops are as momentous as it gets when it comes to music in Nigeria. Think of Made In Lagos, and the discourse that went on for months, subsided, re-appeared with each single (True Love, Ginger, and of course, Essence), 2022’s More Love Less Ago with its ‘purple-phase’ rollout and the criticism that followed, and 2023’s surprise drop, S3, which was objectively one of the best EPs of the year. They all wielded the power to stop the internet, if only for a bit, and Morayo will not be different. For heaven’s sake, it’s Wizkid. WIZ-KID.
As for what to expect, we can’t say for sure. The album is named after his mum, who passed away on August 18, 2023, a loss he has publicly said was “the deepest pain he had ever felt in his life”. This might suggest more introspective writing and a darker creative process, as upon announcing the album name, he also mentioned that it was “the best (album) he had ever made. However, following the previous statement was a series of Instagram stories distancing himself from Afrobeats. “If you like Afrobeats, please don’t download my album!” “I’m not a f**king Afrobeats artiste! Don’t call me that, h*e! I’m not Afro anything, bitch!”. A snippet off the project from Soundman Vol. 1 collaborator, Blaqjerzee, sounded precisely like Afrobeats, but who are we to complain? Gbedu is what we want.
Oxlade from Africa – Oxlade (Release Date – TBA)
Saying Oxlade has had a rocky phase between KU LO SA and now would be restating the obvious so we’ll leave it at that and focus on the music. Because if there’s one thing Oxlade can do, better than most of the ‘singing’ population, it is to sing. That man can sing! And if there’s anything projects like OXYGENE (2020) and the joint-EP with Troniq, Eclipse (2021) show, it’s that his vocals combine beautifully with his songwriting.
On recent singles like the Dave-assisted INTOXYCATED and his two-song pack, KATIGORI/PIANO, he shows this should be a project to watch for. A snippet of the titular song, OFA (Oxlade From Africa) suggests that it might be heavily production-driven, so we would be sure to look out for that, as well.
TBA – Ayra Starr (Release Date – May 2024 )
First off, this project was supposed to drop in May. (Don’t throw your tomatoes just yet). The MAVIN-signed sensation previously tweeted that it would be out “in two months” on March 7th, following a question from a fan about the album. However, in an interview with Capital XTRA later in March, she suggested that even though the album will be out this year, it would likely be much later. But now she’s put out a post saying the album drops next month, so I guess we’re back to the originally scheduled program.
Ayra is dropping! In her own words, “(The album) is very involved. It’s just me talking about the journey of being a 21-year-old and how 21 is just a state of mind, I want everybody that listens to it no matter your age to feel 21”. Strong Adele similarities anyone? Knowing how much of the Gen-Z experience she was able to capture on 19 and Dangerous with songs like Bridgertn and Cast (Gen Z Anthem), and her newfound Afropop roots on hits, Rush, Sability, and Comma, this album could potentially cause divides among the general listener-base.
TBA – Fireboy (Release Date – TBA)
What do you do when your debut album is declared an instant classic on the same strata as Mushin 2 Mohits and Superstar? If you’re Fireboy, you drop a follow-up less than a year later to critical acclaim and several awards. But if you’re Fireboy, it also means that two years after that, you’ll put out your most commercially viable record yet, and accumulate the most negative criticism you’ve ever had to deal with it. Which then brings you to the question, “What next?”
Doubling down and refusing to succumb to pressure, that’s what. In a tweet on the 12th of March, the star revealed that the album rollout for his fourth studio album had begun. Singles like Outside and Obaa Sima, released in December 2023, might be potential indicators of what’s to come but we have learnt on more than one occasion that Fireboy can’t be boxed. The same album that features afro-pop songs could also feature reggae, dance, or even folk songs. So, we’d have to wait to find out. By the way, Fireboy also distanced himself from the tag, ‘Afrobeats’, recently. No idea how it might reflect in his music, though, or if at all it will reflect. After all, genre classification is secondary in the grand scheme of things. Right?
TBA – Lojay (Release Date – TBA)
We can’t be the only ones randomly screaming, “Give me devotion, properly!” from time to time. As such, we invite you to join us on the expedition to Brother Lojay’s next project. Oh, you’re also a fan? You have listened to the LV N ATTN, GANGSTER ROMANTIC, and Loveless (with Jae 5) EPs? You’ve danced all night to Mona Lisa with a tech bro from the Island? Wow! He even broke up with you while OVA was playing in the background? Damn! That’s harsh. Would you do it again? You would? Would you follow him to Arizona?
Okay, that’s too wild of a scenario, even for us. But it speaks to Lojay’s dominance in the ‘loverboy’ music space and why his forthcoming album is essential. It’s his first full-length project and one for which expectations are high. His recent collaborations haven’t hinted much at what to expect, so we’ll just take a backseat.
TBA – Chike (Release Date – TBA)
Chike released his single, Egwu, on December 15th of last year, with a posthumous feature from Mohbad, and gradually took over the airwaves. Twenty-one days later, he tweeted “Album Year”, a post that racked up almost 500k impressions on Twitter. And it is that album we look forward to seeing later in the year.
With an audience that cuts across many demographics, Chike’s next album is likely to satisfy everyone’s sonic needs. If it so happens to be on the same level or higher than his debut, Boo of The Booless, then that conversation about the number of Nigerian artists with trifectas might just need re-visiting.
