- The norm of surprise releases are not inevitable in music, particularly in Afrobeats
- Afrobeats singer Seyi Vibez recently took the route to drop his first project of 2025, Children of Africa (EP)
- TheRadar spotlighted 5 Afrobeats artistes who have made surprise releases before
Afrobeats singer Seyi Vibez recently employed an inevitable music strategy—a surprise release of his Extended Play (EP), Children of Africa.
The mixed bag of shock and excitement has left his fans buzzing on social media with debates on whether it is worth the strategy.
A surprise release refers to an album or music project that is dropped with little or no prior announcement or promotion. The unexpected strategy often catches fans unaware.
This music strategy became popular because of the prevalence of album leaks on the internet during the early 2000s. It later gained prominence in the mid-2010s.
Considering Seyi Vibez latest surprise release attempt, TheRadar spotlight other Afrobeats artistes who took similar routes to surprise their fans with unannounced projects.
5 Afrobeats artistes who have attempted surprise releases
- Seyi Vibez — Children of Africa (2025)
After months of silence on social media, departing Dapper music, and trending for his new looks, Afrobeats singer Seyi Vibez released a surprise EP on Friday, February 21, 2025. The 4-track project came unexpectedly with no announcement or anticipation. With its charting spree and reviews, fans are buzzing about it.
Meanwhile, Seyi Vibez is known for releasing surprise projects. In 2024, the singer dropped his Loseyi Professor EP unannounced. In 2023, he also made another surprise release with his 10-track album, Vibe Till Thy Kingdom Come.
- Shallipopi — Laho (2025)
Shallipopi might have had fans anticipating his single Laho after he dropped a snippet. However, the release of the song, which became a TikTok anthem, was what fans did see coming. The usual would be a release date announcement after the teasing is done. Shallipopi surprise-released the song instead with no announcement on Friday, February 21, 2025.
- BNXN — No Spoil My Steeze (2024)
On December 25, 2024, Afrobeats sensation BNXN delivered a surprise Christmas release, No Spoil My Steeze, for his fans. The song came with no promotion as fans only woke up to see that the singer had a new song out.
- JAE5 and Lojay — Loveless (2024)
Ghanaian singer JAE5 and Nigerian Afrobeats artiste Lojay teamed up on March 8, 2024, to drop an unexpected EP, Loveless. The Collaborative Afrobeats project left fans of both artistes surprised yet excited about their work. The 4-track project featured songs like WaterMami, Sweet Love and Dishonest.
- BNXN and Ruger — Remeo Must Die (2024)
With consistent social media beef, the Afrobeats singers BNXN and Ruger left fans shocked with their collaborative release of their EP RnB. With no prior notice, they left fans amazed at how they decided to bury their hatchet. Their first ever collaboration Romeo Must Die was released on February 29, 2024.
Top songs of 2024: Seyi Vibez’s ‘Different Pattern’ leads pack on Apple Music NG
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Different Pattern by Nigerian singer Balogun Oluwaloseyi, popularly known as Seyi Vibez, emerged as the most streamed song in 2024.
The 24-year-old singer led the pack of Top Songs of 2024 curated by Apple Music Nigeria alongside Omah Lay, Shalipopi and others.
The curated list featured top Nigerian songs that made a remarkable impact with their releases and were most streamed by listeners.
