South Africa and Nigeria top the list of the most talked about African artists 2024. The African music scene continues to explode with rich and tantalizing sounds but there is more putting them in the spotlight.
Concert tickets for shows abroad by African artists are selling out and streaming numbers are skyrocketing. Nominations for prizes continue to stream in, spanning from Afrobeats to Amapiano and beyond. This article interrogates which African musicians are making waves in 2024!
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Top 10 Most Talked About African Artists 2024
Talent and love all feature predominantly in this list. Here are the top artists putting Africa on the map.
Tems
Grammy Award-winning Nigerian artist continues to make waves in Africa’s music industry. After winning the coveted Grammy in 2023 during its 65th edition; Tems earned a BET Award 2024 nomination under Video Director of The Year as she gears up to release her debut album “Born in the Wild.”
Nigerian Afrcbeats artists Tems. Photo/
The “Me & U” hitmaker stormed Nigeria’s Afrobeat scene with her feature on ‘Essence’ by Wizkid off his ‘Made in Lagos’ album. ‘Essence’ is among Nigeria’s most streamed songs on various music streaming platforms.
Burna Boy
Burna Boy is no stranger to making Africa great through music and this year is no different. He was listed as one of the most influential persons in 2024 by TIME magazine thereby making him the most talked about African artists 2024.
The ‘Tried, Trusted & Approved’ hitmaker appeared alongside celebrated Hollywood actress Taraji P. Henson, footballer Jenni Hermoso and Ugandan Frank Mugisha in TIME Magazine’s 21st Edition.
The magazine which commands international repute honours icons in the entertainment, arts, fashion, activism and politic. In addition, he earned a BET Award 2024 nomination. The organizers stated that the Nigerian has kept Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat lineage alive and has given it an international appeal. His astuteness in music is now inspiring generations of young artists.
Ayra Starr
Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Ayra Starr. Photo/YouTube/Wi Link
The ‘Rush’ singer is still not done with serving the world great music and she is also a 2024 BET nominee under the Best Artist category. Her star shone bright with the release of ‘Rush’ and every other hit thereafter, adding to her fame.
Tyla
Her MET Gala 2024 sand dress makes Tyla among the most talked about African artists 2024 so far. The sand dress is definitely a stylish statement that you won’t soon forget. She made African dress even more fashionable. She was able to realize her imaginative ensemble for her first Met Gala thanks to Balmain. The designer of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, drew great inspiration for this ensemble. In order to push boundaries, he set out to build an amazing temporary design.
South African singer Tyla. Photo/Getty IMages
Adding to her fame this year, the ‘Water’ hitmaker won her first Grammy Award in 2024 riding on the wave of her globally viral song “Water.” Before the dust settled on the gala and the Grammy, Tyla was named as a nominee for BET 2024 under the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist category.
Tyler ICU
Tyler ICU’s production prowess in the rapidly expanding Amapiano genre has propelled him to stardom in 2024. With his infectious sounds and partnerships with well-known artists like DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, he is leading the charge in this trend. His reputation as a rising talent is further cemented by his nomination for the Best New International Act BET Award.
Davido
Davido is not new to fame and his listing among the most talked about African artists 2024 is expected. He is still riding high on the fame that his top-charting single ‘Unavailable’ brought with it. Taken off his ‘Timeless’ album, the hit featuring Musa Keys streamed most on Spotify.
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage. Photo/YouTube
Tiwa Savage is the queen of surprises. This year, she pulled a big one with her 2021 EP ‘Water & Garri.’ She transformed her concept for a video album from this album into a full-length film. Yet, she maintains a meek attitude which inspires a lot of people to stay humble all through.
Diamond Platnumz
The ‘Jeje’ singer won the East African Entertainment Awards’ “Overall Hit Maker of the Year” title this year. Besides this, his love intrigues with Zuchu – his star artist girlfriend – has made him famous this far.
Bien Aime Baraza (Sauti Sol)
Following the release of his debut solo album ‘Alusa Why Are You Topless?’ Bien earns a spot in the most talked about African artists 2024. He has successfully delivered mindblowing concerts in Europe this year and he appears to be the most successful solo artist after Sauti Sol’s hiatus.
Asake
Asake’s rise in the Nigerian music industry is phenomenal. He was nominated for the Grammys but didn’t win and he never gives up. The ‘Only Me’ singer doesn’t shy from telling his dream which is winning a Grammy Award as the ultimate prize in his music career.
