- Everyone goes through heartbreak at every point in their lives
- This feeling has inspired some of the best heartbreak anthems in the Nigerian music scene
- TheRadar curated top 20 unforgettable heartbreak songs you should know
Heartbreak songs unlike happy ones owe their existence and composure to the painful yet creative force of heartbreak.
They are not usually the type that gets your feet and hips swaying in excitement but they are archives of some important phase of our lives. These songs, personal or not to the singers, sometimes help listeners find expressions and voices where words fail them.
Heartbreak songs sometimes also help listeners navigate through the pain of losing a lover, dealing with the pain and making sense of what transpired.
TheRadar curated the Top 20 heartbreak songs to help you deal with a breakup and find expressions for your feelings in Afrobeats music.
From heartbroken artistes who have had the worst taste of love to tears-soaking ballads that drown you, these are some of the best Nigerian heartbreak songs.
Top 20 best heartbreak songs you should know
- Last Last - Burna Boy
Nigerian singer Damini Ogulu had dated British rapper Stefflon Don before they broke up. Many believe the breakup inspired his 2021 hit song, Last Last. Burna Boy’s pain was palpable when he asked in his lyrics, “Why did you say I did nothing for you, when I for do anything you want me to do?” He left an optimistic wish to try again in another life, “Maybe another time, maybe, another life you will be my wife and we’ll get it right,”
- Understand - Omah Lay
It is unsurprising that many were late to realise that Omah Lay’s 2021 hit song ‘Understand’ was a heartbreak song. It is easy to pass it for a bouncy sound. The singer talks about how he went to great lengths to give his lover everything yet she left him for his friend. The song, Understand was his way of making sense of the pain he felt.
- Bibanke - Asa
Solemn and emotional. Asa’s Bibanke is one heartbreak song that leaves you soaked up in the loss of a lover. On her eponymous album, Asa, released in 2007, Asa reminisces about a lover who stood by her and inspired her to be the best version of herself. Her message ends with acknowledging that no matter how rosy a relationship is, heartbreak can still be the outcome.
- Out of Love - Chike
Chike’s Out of Love will make you wonder if your lover has another lover you don't know about. His story is relatable especially in modern dating scenarios. It is about being in an open relationship without realizing it. You're left to question if the love is real or just to use you. When Chike said, “I thought I was the only one, say na me you call your number one,” it hit differently.
- Damages - Tems
Tems heartbreak song follows a different route. Rather than being served ‘breakfast,’ she was the one that broke up with her lover. Her song Damages expresses her frustration at being played by her lover and she couldn't take it anymore.
- E Pain me - Davido
- Pidgin & English - BNXN
- Don't Call me Back - Joeboy, Mayorkun
- Last Heartbreak Song - Ayra Starr
- Not the Girl - Darey
- Thunder Fire You - Ric Hassani
- Dreamer - Fireboy DML
- Pick Up - Tiwa Savage
- Omoge Mi - Psquare
- Angelina - Simi
- Toh Bad - Niyiola
- Ego - Djinee
- Susana - Nkem Owoh
- Feel Alright - Davido
- Wish You Worst - Show Dem Camp
7 popular Nigerian producers who became music superstars
Earlier, TheRadar reported that Afrobeats' landscape had indeed evolved so much that, beyond working behind the scenes, music producers are now exploring their flair for singing at the forefront of the industry.
Many Afrobeats music producers have emerged to become hitmakers and artistes in their own right, shaping and influencing the Afrobeats movement.
