The Wonderful World of Minotaur

Afrobeats is known for its rhythmic beats that make you want to dance. For the most part, it’s an upbeat genre and the main goal of the songs, particularly the mainstream songs, is to get you out of your seats. Nigerians love to party so it makes sense that most of our music is party music. 

Since the beginning of the genre, there have been love songs. Classic wedding songs like 2Baba’s “African Queen” and P-Square’s “No One Like You” that are still played at events 20 years later. 

There has been a lot of online discourse about what the new versions of those older classics are. People claim that there aren’t any more love songs in the genre. As an avid listener of Afrobeats, I know that to be untrue. 

If you look deeper than the surface level mainstream stuff, or even just listen to the lyrics of some of those songs, you’ll also know that it is untrue. 

To jog everyone’s memory or even put you on to some new songs, I’ve made a list of 10 of my favourite Afrobeats love songs in the last 5 years. In no particular order:

Show Me Off 

Asa

“You are the apple of my eye

You are the highlight everyday

You are the one who makes me happy everyday”

Running (To You) 

Chike & Simi

“Sunup to sun down, loving no go run down”

Again 

Wande Coal

“It’s not a lie, you set my soul on fire”

Omo T’emi 

Flavour

“I dey fall in love with you everyday

I dey fall in love with you in so many ways”

DKT 

Oxlade

“You been on my radar

With me you are safer”

No Competition 

Davido & Asake

“Cause you got my soul, my soul

You’re the melody for my soul”

Terminator 

Asake 

“We don get agreement oh

No terminating”

Lagos Love Story  

Ayra Starr 

“I don fall in love

So na this one una dey enjoy” 

Special Kinda 

Tiwa Savage & Tay Iwar

“Let me into you

All the things I’ll do for you”

Repete

Blackmagic

“I’ll be that happiness that moves your heart

And when you sleep I’ll find my way into your dreams”

For more songs, listen to my playlist ‘love nwantiti’ on Apple Music & Spotify