In this op-ed editorial , we will be highlighting songs that are making a lot of noise in the Ghanaian partying space or scene. Notwithstanding how bad Covid-19 has affected clubbing in Ghana, open air bars and pubs were allowed to render their services. Data gathered for this article was collected from some of Ghana’s highly patronized bars and pubs.
Walk into any open air or pub and you are bound to hear a few of these bangers in any given DJ’s set. In no particular order, this list represents the good, the bad and the ugly of sounds that are packing dancefloors currently in Ghana.
P.S. – This playlist is available on Apple Music, Spotify and Audiomack.
Bella Shmurda ft Zlatan Ibile & Lincoln – Cash App
Singer and songwriter , Bella Shmurda is an independent artist from Nigeria. He broke into limelight last year in November with his song ‘Vision 2020’. Bella Shmurda made an appearance on Olamide’s Carpe Diem album which was released 2 months ago with the song ‘Triumphant’. Few days after , Bella Shmurda followed up with this banger titled ‘Cash App’ featuring the Zanku Boss – Zlatan and Lincoln. This song contains a lot of street slangs or terms which resonates a lot with the youth chasing their dreams. The whimsical hook also makes easier for one to fall in love with it and catch it’s rhythm after a first listen. On Apple Music , Cash App is currently the second most streamed song in Ghana.
Kuami Eugene – Open Gate
Kuami Eugene is a very fortunate and hardworking Ghanaian recording music artist. We are yet to discover the creative process his songs go through before they are released for the market. Half way this year , Kuami Eugene announced the release of his studio album ‘Son Of Africa’. He released Open Gate off the album as a lead single and that has contributed immensely to the success of the album.
Keche ft Kuami Eugene – No Dulling
Ghanaian music duo – Keche is on every Ghanaian DJ’s jam set this season , all thanks to Kuami Eugene with the hook. Keche has been throwing anything at the wall after partying ways with GB Recordz , hoping something might stick. That didn’t happen just until they signed unto GEM Media.
Darkovibes ft. King Promise – Inna Song
A Darkovibes and King Promise combo is one collaboration people were really anticipating due to their songwriting and singing prowess. Just before the lockdown , the duo gifted fans with the infectious ‘Inna Song’, produced by Streetbeatz. Shortly after , Darkovibes released his debut album dubbed ‘Kpanlogo’.
Davido – FEM
DMW/30BG head honcho – Davido was off social media for close to 7 months this year. Reason for his absence according to reliable sources, said he was working on his “A Better Time” which is a follow up to his critically acclaimed ‘A Good Time’ album.
Davido , with no prior notice dropped this banger titled ‘Fem’ which was previously perceived as ‘Para.’ Just within a week of release , Fem topped most African music charts on the respective streaming platforms. ‘Fem’ also served as the singer’s first official single for the year.
Yaw T.O.G ft Reggie , Jay Bahd , O’Kenneth & City Boi – Sore
Kumerica really came hard this season with their newly established ‘Asaka’ genre. Ever since they popped up on the radar , Kumerica has been giving us treats we never asked for. These Kumerican drill songs have wiped out most of the foreign Hip-hop/Trap songs in the system. Party people tend to enjoy these songs more due to it being sang in our local dialect. Just like when magma erupts from a volcano when gas bubbles cannot easily escape, the build up to the chorus of this song before it drops is the same way people rage to this song.
Kawabanga ft O’Kenneth , Jay Bahd & Reggie – Akatafo)
It’s quite astounding to see a genre like ‘Drill’ sprouting in the Kumasi. Majority of the biggest songs in Ghana right now are of the drill genre. It started with a song by Kumasi based artists – Dead Peepol and Rich Kant titled ‘Otan Hunu’. Shortly after ‘Akatafoc’ by Kawabanga featuring O’Kenneth, Reggie & Jay Bahd , all based in Kumasi.
Without doubt , it’s evident there’s a Pop Smoke influence in there. The demise of American rapper , Pop Smoke exposed a lot of people to his music out here in Ghana. His highly recognizable worldwide hit ‘Dior’ became a scheme for rappers who wanted to join the drill culture.
We can’t mention this movement without acknowledging the efforts of American designer, entrepreneur, and DJ – Virgil Abloh who is using his eminent platform to support these budding acts in whatever way he can.
Okese 1 – Yie Yie
Okese is a fast-rising Ghanaian rapper and member of AMG Business. In every Ghanaian DJ’s set, you’d definitely find Yie Yie by Okese 1 in there. The heavy bass lines and tuneful lyrics contributed to the success of this street anthem.
Medikal ft Joey B – La Hustle
Medikal and Joey B have collectively composed bops together. In the past months, their collaborations have yielded Hip-hop records like Green Tea , 911 and FOH. With drill music on the rise in Ghana at the moment, award-winning Ghanaian rapper – Medikal tapped into the wave with his witty and catchy rap lines with assistance from Joey B to produce this heavy street anthem titled ‘La Hustle’ beautifully crafted by DJ Krept and ATown TSB. This also can be heard in every DJ set at every event or party.
Omah Lay – Bad Influence
The country lockdown in most of the world due to the global Covid-19 pandemic had its merits and demerits. The music sector for instance recorded high streaming numbers as music consumption increased due to the stay-at-home safety protocol. With the absence of outdoor concerts, music artists all over the world put out a lot of music for people to listen to. New crop of artists were discovered during this period with the help of streaming platforms like Apple Music , Audiomack & Spotify who helped tremendously in spotlighting these acts. Fast-rising Nigerian singer – Omah Lay broke out this year during the lockdown after he released his debut extended play titled ‘Get Layd’. The amazing body of work houses songs like Damn, Ye Ye Ye , You, Bad Influence and Lo Lo.
‘Bad Influence’ is a beautifully woven song and very relatable by many.
Stonebwoy – Putuu (Freestyle)
Before the official release of this viral song , Stonebwoy released snippets of it via his social media timelines. This caught the attention of many due to it’s humorous lyrical content. By popular request, Stonebwoy released this as a freestyle which went viral few days after.
Rema – Woman
In a space of two in the month of July , Rema gifted music lovers with two songs namely; Alien and Woman. The encouraging lyrics and party vibe of ‘Woman’ stood out amongst the two. A beautifully crafted visual treatment shot and directed by UAX Studios was released shortly after which helped the song gain more traction.
Olakira – In My Maserati
OLAKIRA is a multi talented Nigerian producer and instrumentalist, who has produced and worked with the likes of Dotman and Patoranking. Olakira has honed his musical skills over the last couple of years and is now ready to take the music industry by storm and to tell you just how ready he is, he picked a name, Olakira, which literally translates to “Shining Star” in Swahili. Born Adefemi Ebenezer Adelusola, he launched his career in 2015 when he met the Record Label Executive of U & I Music “Ra”. His loyalty, humility and outstanding technical contributions to the label’s projects earned him a much-deserved record deal with U&I Music in 2018. He officially began his introduction into the Nigerian music scene with two debut singles titled “Hey Lover” and “Flirty Signal” in June. Same month in June, Olakira released his buzzing record titled ‘In My Maserati’ which cemented his position in the music scene. Few months after , Davido featured on the remix of the song.
Patoranking – Abule
Abule is off Patoranking’s Three album. Abule is a celebration of his Lagos neighborhood, Ebute Metta, and of hoods worldwide.
Tiwa Savage – Koroba
Koroba is Tiwa Savage’s second release of the year after Dangerous Love and before her album ‘Celia’. While deliberations for the release of her album was still on-going, Koroba started making waves. This set the tone for the final release of her highly acclaimed body of work ‘Celia’.
Kweku Flick – Money
Often mistaken for Kwesi Arthur due to the similarities in their voices and melodies , fast-rising Kumasi based rapper – Kweku Flick broke out this year with this street anthem titled ‘Money’, produced by Apya.
Sarkodie ft Kuami Eugene – Happy Day
Africa’s most decorated rapper , Sarkodie released this song few days to the just ended general elections. After the successful release of his previous song titled ‘Gimme Way’ featuring Prince Bright (BukBak) , Sarkodie followed this highly anticipated ‘Happy Day’ featuring Lynx Entertainment’s hitmaking machine – Kuami Eugene.
The song was apparently endorsed by the incumbent president of Ghana – President Nana Akuffo Addo. Sarkodie later came out to clear the air about the linkage of his song to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and it been labelled as a campaign song. This assumption was made by the general public as Sarkodie was clearly heard praising President Nana Akuffo-Addo for initiating the Free SHS policy and also providing stable electricity.
‘Happy Day’ made the charts few days after release with little or no promotion.
Stonebwoy – Everlasting
Everlasting is one of the successful songs off the critically acclaimed ‘Anloga Junction’ album by Stonebwoy.
Rapper cum singer and YBNL Entertainment top dog – Olamide has been consistent in the African music scene for over a decade. Over the years , Baddo has released many gripping projects making , an evidence to his consistency and why he’s one of the most successful African music acts.
Olamide released his long-awaited album dubbed, “Carpe Diem.” After dishing out the highly acclaimed “999” extended play with a couple of follow-up singles to spice it up, the yet was not done yet for the veteran.
Carpe Diem housed 12 tracks, including collaborations with Phyno, Omah Lay, Bella Shmurda, Fireboy DML and Bad Boy Timz.
His collaboration with new school cat – Omah Lay titled ‘Infinity’ off the album is currently one of the biggest songs on the African continent.
Olamide ft Bad Boy Timz – Loading
Also off the ‘Carpe Diem’ album , Loading by Olamide featuring Bad Boy Timz is also one of the successful songs off the album.
