Pulse List: Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2025 In Nigerian Music

2025 has been an eventful year for Nigerian music as the stars who shape the industry delivered the songs, albums, and moments that dominated headlines and social media talking points. From superstars consolidating their status to new stars shooting for mainstream success, the year was filled with several high points. Afrobeats continued its international rise with another Grammy win and record breaking tours. 

Listeners welcomed the grand entrance of a new set of stars who brought dynamism and complexity to the soundscape. The Nigerian touring circuit saw more activities this year as several artists hit the road and thrilled fans across the country.  There was also no shortage of drama as beefs and controversies also kept fans at the edge of their seats. Pulse Music Desk has selected the top 10 moments that defined the year. The selection is based on the following criteria:

1. Eligibility Period: December 1, 2024 - December 1, 2025

2. Impact and Virality - We consider the weight of the moment on the Nigerian music scene and the artist(s) involved. We also gave credence to how the audience interacted with the moment. 

Since Spotify launched in Nigeria five years ago, the company has consistently supported the local creative space. Their interaction with pop culture delivered the ‘Greasy Tunes Café,’ which stands as one of the most memorable events of 2025 in Nigerian music. Throughout its three-week run, over 6,000 people attended, engaging with Nigerian music on cultural, historical, and educational levels. In an ecosystem where live performances are often few and far between, the café provided an intimate platform where fans enjoyed curated live music from some of Nigeria’s finest stars.

From Adekunle Gold bringing Yinka Ayefele on stage to Odumodublvck’s show-stopping performance, Wizard Chan’s South-South flavour, and Seun Kuti’s Afrobeat mastery, each week featured exciting performances that bridged the gap between creators and consumers. It went beyond music; ‘Spotify Greasy Tunes’ was a cultural celebration that highlighted the food, fashion, and lifestyle fuelling Afrobeats. At a time when live performance culture needs revival, Spotify has created a platform that builds community, empowers creators, and celebrates Nigerian music heritage.

Nigerian superstar Tems has been blazing a trail in the global music space thanks to music that has won the hearts of millions. She made history earlier this year at the 67th Grammy Awards, where she won the prize for Best African Music Performance for her hit single ‘Love Me Jeje.’

She became the first Nigerian artist to win two Grammys and only the second Nigerian artist to win a solo Grammy, following Burna Boy, who won for his album ‘Twice As Tall’ in 2021. Tems’ win was a major career milestone for her as well as for Nigerian music, whose flag she continues to fly on the global stage.

One of the highlights of 2025 in Nigerian music was hip hop icon Olamide’s London concert. The Hip Hop icon made history on a Sunday night as the first African rapper to sell out the 12,500-capacity OVO Wembley Arena.

Fans packed the venue to celebrate a milestone in Nigerian music, and the rapper received a plaque onstage to commemorate the achievement. The atmosphere was electric, as if Lagos had been transported to London, with most of the arena buzzing with energy and excitement. The concert was also live-streamed on his YouTube page and was watched by thousands who experienced the rapper's first London headline concert since 2016.

There are not many stars who impacted 2025 more than the breakout sensation Mavo, whose street-lingo-infused blend of rap and pop production rocketed him to mainstream success.

After gaining prominence with his hit single ‘Escaladizzy’ featuring Wave$tar, Mavo rocketed to stardom thanks to a string of hit collaborations with high-profile stars such as Davido, Wizkid, and CKay. His lyrics also became popular lingo on social media, positioning him as a leader of a new generation whose lifestyle is impacting Nigerian pop culture.

No one, including Skales, could have guessed just how drastically his life was about to change in 2025. Ten years after releasing his hit single ‘Shake Body,’ the song made a sensational commercial comeback thanks to the unexpected, decisive effort of Barcelona’s football star Lamine Yamal, who danced to it on TikTok and sparked its virality.

It was a surreal moment for Skales, who watched the song travel from Barcelona’s stadium to stages across Europe. A decade after shaping Nigerian dancehall with the hit song, the stars aligned for Skales, who enjoyed a moment befitting his fifteen years of tirelessly expanding his artistry.

How do we talk about 2025 in Nigerian music without touching on Wizkid's blistering run of features? The Grammy winner was in the mood to share verses, and he linked up with the hottest Afrobeats stars.

From Ayra Starr and Young Jonn to Odumodublvck, Fola, Shallipopi, and Mavo, the Grammy winner started the year on a strong note and closed on an even stronger one, being named the most-streamed artist of 2025 on Apple Music Nigeria and Spotify Nigeria. The star, who has been parsimonious with guest verses in past years, more than made up for it in 2025 as he gave fans a run of features they will not forget in a hurry.

One of the most defining moments of 2025 in Nigerian music was Llona’s groundbreaking nationwide tour, which served as a reminder that there is an ecosystem to be rebuilt brick by brick. From Kano to Enugu, and through Port Harcourt and Makurdi, Nigerians poured out to fellowship with Llona. This displayed the power of music to unite listeners across tribal, religious, and social lines.

When Llona climbed the stage on 2 August 2025 to perform in Lagos State, it was his twenty-fifth stop and a grand finale to one of Nigeria’s most memorable tours. From Kano to Enugu and Abeokuta to Lokoja, the tour was a sobering reminder of how economic, security, and infrastructural factors have often robbed Nigerians of the chance to show how music unites the nation.

Burna Boy enjoys hitting the road, and 2025 was no different as he took his superlative stagecraft to cities across Europe and America. The Grammy winner made history by becoming the first African artist to headline and sell out the Stade de France stadium in Paris. He also became the first African act to headline and sell out the Manchester Co-op Arena, reinstating his status as a global superstar.

While he was breaking records on tour, he also caused a major controversy when he booted out a sleeping fan at his Colorado show. On 12 November 2025, he made history by becoming the first African to headline the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and the concert took a controversial turn when he spotted a sleeping fan mid-performance and insisted he would not perform anymore until she left. 

The moment went viral and attracted massive backlash. Although he defended his decision, the sustained criticism and threats of cancellation saw him embark on image restoration moves. 2025 is a year Burna Boy will not forget, as the star who revels in adversity got more than he bargained for.

Perhaps no other Nigerian artist had a better 2025 than Davido, who released his fifth album, ‘5ive.’ The project was followed by a tour of North America, the Middle East, and Africa. He sold out thirteen venues across North America, including Canada's Scotiabank Arena, where he joined Asake, Burna Boy, and Rema as Nigerian stars to have filled the 19,000-capacity arena.

What makes the tour even more remarkable is how he showcased another side to his stagemanship. For this, the superstar thanked Nigerian veteran musician, producer, and music director Cobhams Asuquo, whom he recruited as the tour's music director. The tour ranks high because it included six stops in Nigeria, featuring a rare performance in Yola, a sold-out show in Enugu, landmark stadium concerts in Uyo and Ibadan, and stops in Abuja and Lagos. Davido’s willingness to incorporate Nigeria into his tour dates is a notable moment that encourages other stars to cater more to the home front.

Surely, no other moment in Nigerian music in 2025 surpasses the beef between hip hop stars Odumodublvck and Blaqbonez. The friends turned foes have been at war all year, with diss tracks recorded and online shots directed at all those connected to the conflict.

While the reason behind the beef is largely unknown, Odumodublvck has accused his opposition of backbiting, jealousy, and betrayal via social media posts and diss tracks. Blaqbonez released a reply on ‘ACL,’ where he accused him of obsession and mocked his bullish personality. The beef has divided fans and pitted Odumodublvck and his Antiworld Gangstars crew against Blaqbonez, his mentor A-Q, and the label Chocolate City.

While it did not deliver the exact diss battle fans were hoping for, their dispute is documented in notable songs such as Odumodublvck’s smash hit ‘If You Like Gym’ and Blaqbonez’s viral ‘ACL.’ In 2025, hip hop dominated headlines and social media talking points, not mainly for hit records or groundbreaking collaborations, but for the almost inevitable beef between two of the genre’s leading acts.