- The year 2025 has begun and there are so many things to look forward to, particularly in Nigerian music
- From rising talents, to upcoming debut albums, there are quite a lot
- TheRadar spotlighted 5 notable rising music stars we are rooting for in 2025
With the vibrancy of the Nigerian music industry, it is only right to see consistent emerging talents.
The industry, which currently stands at a whopping $122 million, enjoys the most contributions from popular big names.
2024 aside from unending albums, saw impressive international collaborations like Usher working with Pheelz on Ruin, while Chris Brown joining forces with Davido and Lojay on Grammy-nominated Sensational track.
As much as the Nigerian music industry has consistently seen the rise of artistes like Davido, Burna Boy and Wizkid, 2024 also gave closure to witness the best of singers like Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, Asake, and Tems amongst others.
However, 2024 gave deeper closure, highlighting what Nigerian music lovers should be excited for 2025. Last year solidified the presence of notable rising talents, who are likely to further impact the Nigerian music landscape.
5 rising artistes to watch in 2025
In no particular order, TheRadar curated a list of 5 rising artistes Nigerian music lovers should look forward to in 2025. Based on their discography and impact so far, we are rooting for them. To see them do better and greater this year.
- Fola
This is another singer that we are rooting for in 2025. The singer is signed to Bella Shmurda’s Dangbana Records and got a hit with his song Alone featuring Badboi DML. He also did a remix of the song featuring sensational singer BNXN.
Both songs have crossed over 20 million streams on Spotify. Aside from his distinct voice, Fola stands out for his penmanship. He recently dropped his EP featuring his boss Bella Shmurda in one of its tracks. The future looks bright for Fola.
- Zerry DL
It is hard to miss that Zerry DL is the brother of popular singer Shallipopi, their resemblance is striking. Born Divine Uzama, Zerry DL rakes up a total of 1.8 million listeners on Spotify and he is one artiste to look out for in 2025.
He is also signed to his brother’s label, Plutomania. He has been featured in Bayanni’s song For Where?. Some of his songs include: Hausapiano remix, Back to Back and Wara Wara szn.
- Ayo Maff
Ayo Maff is one artiste who distinguished himself. The 19-year-old singer born Ayorinde Ayodele, gained industry recognition for his single Dealer featuring Fireboy DML. He dropped another one: Are You There?, which got him co-signed by Industry giants.
Ayo Maff has had the opportunity to perform at O2 Arena and has been featured by artistes like Blaqbones and Lil Kesh. The young singer proves an optimistic potential to stand out in the industry. He recently did a remix of his song Are You There? featuring Ayra Starr and it is set to drop in 2025.
- Qing Madi
In an Afrobeats world where female singers are defying the odds to stand out, Qing Madi is an artiste to explore in 2025. She gained recognition with her song See Finish (2022) and followed by Ole featuring BNXN.
Both songs blew up on social media, especially on TikTok. Ranking in categories on Spotify and Apple Music, Qing Madi has been featured by American singer Chloe Bailey and Joeboy. She has her anticipated debut album dropping in 2025.
- D’Tee
The last artiste on our list is D’Tee, a sensational rising talent that is making waves in the Nigerian music industry. He headlined two D’Tee Connect concerts in Ifako Ijaiye and the impressive turnout proved his emerging status. D’Tee has his latest single 'I Love My Life’ hitting the airwaves, he is one to watch out for in 2025.
Global Impact List: Ayra Starr, Tems emerge as Spotify’s most streamed artistes
Earlier, TheRadar reported that Nigerian Afrobeats artistes, Tems and Ayra Starr emerged at the top of the Global Impact List unveiled by popular streaming platform Spotify for the first half of 2024.
Through their songs, these artistes were recognized by the streaming platform. Their songs, according to spotify, have the most listens from outside Nigeria between January 1 to June 30.
Ayra Starr secured the first and second spots with her songs Santa featuring Rauw Alejandro and hit single Commas. On the other hand, Tems took third spot with Love Me Jeje.
