Afro Nation has announced the lineup for its 2024 festival in Portugal, with adding Nicki Minaj to a group of headliners including Rema, Asake, and J Hus. The young festival (which was initially launched back in 2019) has expanded its offerings in the years since its debut, but Portimão, Portugal remains its homebase — which is why it makes sense they’ve booked one of the biggest names in hip-hop to join some of the top Afrobeats-influenced musicians of the past year. The festival is billed for June 26-28 at The Algarve, moving from its usual base at Praia da Rocha.
The Full Afro Nation 2024 Lineup
In addition to the above headliners, the full lineup includes (newly added names are noted with an *):
Asake had a birthday surprise in store, both for himself and the fans. He dropped the groovy new song, “Only Me,” which finds him coming to a place of self-acceptance where he is content and doesn’t need to compare to others. Basically, it serves as a special release for the singer, that gets an added layer of meaningfulness.
“Today, I honor the journey I’ve been on and the journey yet to come,” he posted on social media today. “Happy birthday to a resilient soul.”
Just a few weeks ago, Asake received his first-ever Grammy nomination for his song, “Amapiano.” It is currently up for the Best African Music Performance category, ahead of the Grammy Awards next month.
Additionally, over the past year, he has been quite busy. He released the “Lonely At The Top” remix with H.E.R., and the original version was the longest No. 1 hit in Nigeria, per the press release. His album, Work Of Art, also peaked at No. 4 on Billboard‘s World Albums Chart.
That success has led to Asake building a massive fanbase. During his two main shows of 2023, he sold out both London’s O2 Arena and NYC’s Barclays Center. The latter marked his first arena show in North America, making him the first African artist to both headline and sell out the venue, per Revolt.TV.
Today’s afrobeats scene is arguably in the best condition its been in a while simply because the new artists on the block are having as much success as the genre’s “older” generation. As Davido and Burna Boy saw viral moments through their releases this year, Rema and Asake enjoyed the same for themselves. The success isn’t only reserved for the men in the genre. Names like Ayra Starr, Tyla, Teni, and Tems are more than deserving of their place in the spotlight. In fact, it’s demanded.
As for 2023, afrobeats welcomed back artists who’d been absent from the scene for some time. Davido returned to release one of the best albums of the year with Timeless while Mr Eazi took on the role of The Evil Genius for his long-awaited debut. Other acts wasted no time getting back to work after releasing their previous projects. Asake (Work Of Art), Adekunle Gold (Tequila Ever After), and Blaqbonez (Emeka Must Shine) are examples of artists who make quick returns to the scene. Outside of these aforementioned names are artists who’ve established themselves immensely talents who found away to the top of afrobeats in 2023.
With that being said here are the ten best afrobeats albums of 2023 in alphabetical order:
Adekunle Gold — Tequila Ever After
Def Jam Recordings
This year seemed to be the year of quick returns for a few afrobeats artists. Burna Boy and Asake are among those who returned with projects after a short break and Adekunle Gold also joined that list this year with his fifth album Tequila Ever After. It’s always a joy to watch artists find the fun in their music again, and that’s exactly what happened with Adekunle Gold on this album. The album uses vibrant production as its canvas as Adekunle paints with moments of falling in love, dancing under the spotlight, and simply enjoying what life has blessed him with. It’s a toast to now and forever as well as motivation to find a level of enjoyment in your life comparable to what Adekunle indulges in. – W.O.
Asake — Work Of Art
YBNL Nation/Empire Distribution
After establishing himself as one of the best newcomers in afrobeats in 2022, Asake used 2023 to prove that his success is far from a moment, but rather, the starting moments of a long-lasting career. His second album Work Of Art, arrived just nine months after his stellar debut Mr. Money With The Vibe and it exercises the same winning formula that put Asake in the spotlight. The Nigerian star returns as triumphant, spiritual, and grateful as ever, and with Work Of Art, we get a slightly altered painting that is altered enough to be something new worth paying attention to, all while using the same paintbrush and colors. In the end, this formula provided records like the Grammy-nominated “Amapiano” and the fan-favorite “Lonely At The Top” that will go down as one of the best offerings in Asake’s discography. – W.O.
Blaqbonez — Emeka Must Shine
Chocolate City Music
Behind giants like Davido, Wizkid, and Burna Boy lives an immensely talented class of young afrobeats artists who represent the genre’s stars of tomorrow. Nigerian’s own Blaqbonez, born Emeka Akumefule, in that class, an honor he proved he was worthy of with the 2022 release of Young Preacher. Blaqbonez doubles down on that with Emeka Must Shine, his third album in as many years. The project that bears his legal name is one that Blaqbonez uses to showcase his elevation and versatility as an artist. Introspection lives through “Road Runners” as much as his free spirit and desire to enjoy life do on “Like Ice Spice” and “6 Bizness Days.” It’s these unique aspects and Blaqbonez’s ability to tie them together in a cohesive manner that allow him to shine, just like his third album’s title says he must do. – W.O.
Burna Boy — I Told Them…
Atlantic
Burna Boy has never really favored humility, but when you’ve spent the bulk of your career proving your doubters wrong, how could you favor it? When success as an afrobeats artist was doubted, he proved them wrong. When he was told global stardom was out of reach, he did all he could to grab it. When he was denied awards, he found a way to give an acceptance speech with an award in hand. Burna Boy relishes in his accomplishments on his sixth album I Told Them…, and though there isn’t a stark difference or a new approach for this project, moments like “City Boys,” “Dey Play,” and “Tested, Approved & Trusted” highlight the Burna Boy we love. On the flip side, “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” and “Big 7” capture the global ambassador Burna strives to be. There’s no doubting Burna’s success, but in case you decide to, I Told Them… is proof of the progress. – W.O.
Crayon — Trench To Triumph
Mavin Global Holdings Ltd./Blowtime Entertainment
Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records contains a roster of talent that many labels would be envious of. The label’s most recognizable faces are Rema and Ayra Starr, but in 2023, Crayon emerged as an eligible candidate to complete a “big three” within the label thanks to his debut album Trench To Triumph. A true rags to riches story, as its title suggests, Crayon displays his spirituality, past struggles, current impressive talents, and future potential all within the project’s 13 songs. Whether it be afrobeats with “Trench Kid” and the semi-viral “Ngozi” or amapiano with “Ijo Laba” and “The One (Chop Life),” Crayon uses it all to paint the world he came from. You may not have expected Crayon to have one of afrobeats’ best albums in 2023, but going forward, that should be the expectation in future years. – W.O.
Davido — Timeless
Sony
Davido’s absence from the afrobeats world over the past couple of years, though it was respected, was surely felt by fans. So with the arrival of his fourth album Timeless, the expectation was that he would fit right into the genre’s newly-mainstream landscape while showing why he’s on the Mount Rushmore of the genre. To the surprise of no one, that’s exactly what happened. Timeless arrived as Davido’s best album to date and it’s thanks to the singer’s theme of conquering all things in his way on the album. Whether it be those who want to bring him down or unfortunate events in his life, Davido stands tall “over dem” on Timeless. – W.O.
L.A.X. — No Bad Vibes
Rasaki Music Ltd/EMPIRE
Staying true to his name, a slight acronym for Live And Excel, Nigerian singer L.A.X. took a clear step upward with his third album No Bad Vibes. Born from months of touring and the recognition that a project that embodied his growth was needed came twelve that capture the dance-friendly nature of African music through sweet offerings with features from Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, Konshens, and more. Afrobeats, afropop, and amapiano are the means he uses to achieve his mission of ensuring its great vibes from start to finish on No Bad Vibes. “Zaza” is the infectious dancefloor warmup while “Rora” is where you let go and be free and “Options” grants the slow, intimate embrace of a loved one. L.A.X. covered the bases with No Bad Vibes and he didn’t waste a beat doing so. – W.O.
Mr Eazi — The Evil Genius
emPawa Africa Limited
Mr Eazi was one of a few faces that represented afrobeats during its rise in the 2010s. Releases like “Skin Tight,” “Leg Over,” and “Pour Me Water,” stood out amongst the field and Eazi’s consistency was heralded just as much as the music itself. With all that being said, it’s a bit shocking that it wasn’t until 2023 that Mr Eazi delivered his official debut album. The Evil Genius and its 16 tracks combine everything we’ve come to love about Mr Eazi and his music. He doesn’t sound a decade older, but the experience and wisdom gained in those 10 years are entwined in The Evil Genius. Highlife, afropop, and other genres under the afrobeats soundtrack breathe vibrant life into an incredibly personal album that dives into love, betrayal, loneliness, and family. It was a long time coming for Mr Eazi, but as the saying goes, better late than never. – W.O.
NSG — Area Boyz
NSG Entertainment
A decade into their career, NSG celebrated the milestone by releasing their debut album Area Boyz. The Nigerian and Ghanaian six-member group out of East London delivered an album that deserved to bask in the sunlight of the summer. Bass-knocking records like “Azonto,” “Zombie,” and “Seihor” set the temperature for explosive moments on the album like “Stevie Wonder” and “Nella Rose.” In addition to that, NSG finds moments to show off their timid side through offerings like “Tonight” and “Toxic Love.” Nineteen tracks deep and NSG used them all to show their versatility and growth over their decade-long career. Ten years is a mark few make it to and it’s surely a reason to celebrate, Area Boyz just makes the moment much sweeter. – W.O.
Teni — Tears Of The Sun
Sugar Mummy Records
Nigerian singer Teni is living proof of the beauty behind seeking out the silver linings during the down times in life. Her second album Tears Of The Sun embodies that to a tee with 16 celebratory records that are as bright as the sun in the album’s title. You’re welcome to dance through songs like “Control” while “YBGFA (Young Black Girl From Africa)” offers inspiration to those who look up to her and “Holy Matrimony” supplies a dose of moving spirituality. On Tears Of The Sun, Teni rides the wave of optimism with ease and does it authentically. As a result, Tears Of The Sun lands as a moving album that’ll brighten your day and put you in a nice groove. – W.O.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Sarz is one of the most popular and well-respected Afro-beat producers in the genre. More than ever before, African music is all over the charts and the radio. Multiple artists from the respective subsets are having a breakout 2023. Rema, Tyla, Burna Boy, and many others are exploding onto the scene.
It has been the perfect time for these names to pop off, especially, with hip-hop having a down year by its standards. Sarz has been in the industry for a minute now, but it is good to see him have a big moment this year. Many casual listeners will know the beat he made for Drake, Wizkid, and Kyla’s smash 2016 hit, “One Dance.” But, he is much more than that.
The Nigerian talent is getting ready for a new album to drop sometime next year, according to Billboard. The first single, “Yo Fam!,” with Crayon and Skrillex dropped back in early September. Now, Sarz is back for round two. This time, he brings on Gunna and fellow Afro-pop artist Asake for “Happiness.” The theme around this one is about making the special person in your life happy by whatever means necessary. It is a great crossover for each artist involved, and hopefully, heading into next year, we get more of these efforts.
What are your initial thoughts on this brand-new single, “Happiness,” by Sarz, Asake, and Gunna? Is this Gunna’s best genre-crossover appearance, why or why not? Is this one of the best Afro-pop tracks of the year? Whose appearance made the track for you? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Gunna, Sarz, and Asake. Furthermore, stay with us for all of the best song releases throughout the week.
Quotable Lyrics:
I miss you, I need you bad, baby come home You want me to make it happen baby I know You want me to keep you happy, baby I know Penthouse, condo Got no one, amapiano You want me to make it happen baby I know
Afro Nation, the biggest Afrobeats festival in the world, is returning to Portugal in 2024 with a stacked lineup featuring some of the biggest names in African music. The first wave of announced performers include Rema, Asake, J Hus, Ninho, Tyla, Omah Lay, Flavour, and more. As usual, a second stage will highlight some of Amapiano’s hottest DJs, including Uncle Waffles and Major League DJz. The festival takes place at the Algarve in Portimão on June 26-28, 2024. Tickets go on sale on November 23; you can find more information at afronation.com.
The 2024 performers include some of the genre’s biggest rising stars. Rema enjoyed increased public standing in 2023, performing for the NBA’s 2023 All-Star Game, on The Tonight Show, and at Broccoli City Fest. He also teamed up with hip-hop’s fastest-rising star, Ice Spice, for “Pretty Girl,” which the duo teamed up to perform on SNL.
Meanwhile, Tyla became the first South African musician to chart on the Billboard 200 in fifty years thanks to her hit song “Water” going viral on TikTok. She too made her US television debut recently, in addition to being nominated for the 2024 Grammy Awards. Asake and J Hus both dropped new albums, as well, establishing themselves as forces in the Afrobeats scene.
More performers will likely be announced as March nears, so stay tuned.
Broccoli City Festival returned in 2023 with plays to take over a summer weekend, a change from its usual spring presence. The showcase, which was known to open its doors in May, opted to push things back to July this time around. Rumor has it that this change was done with the hopes of avoiding any rain delays that the spring season might have to offer. Unfortunately, Mother Nature proved to be the superior force as the weather played a role on both days of the festival this year.
This year’s showcase was headlined by Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, and Brent Faiyaz, artists, who in recent years, have reached new heights in their careers. Behind them were slated performances from Asake, Rema, Chlöe, Coco Jones, Kodak Black, Mariah The Scientist, Ice Spice, City Girls, Keke Palmer, Saucy Santana, GloRilla, Lola Brooke, and more – and that was just the main stage. A smaller stage housed performances from Foggieraw, Ryan Trey, OG Bobby Billions, LaRussell, and others. Add in activations for some fun throughout the festival and food options throughout the outskirts of Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium, and you have all the ingredients to put on a successful showcase.
So now that the weekend is over, let’s take a look back at the highs and lows of the 2023 Broccoli City Festival.
HIGH: Afrobeats
On the performance side of things, afrobeats was the winner at this year’s Broccoli City Festival. The genre was only presented by two artists for the weekend, Rema and Asake, but they put on a show to remember through their sets. On day one was Rema who arrived to perform highlights from his discography like “Holiday,” “Charm,” “Soundgasm,” “Dumebi,” “Bounce,” and of course, the record-breaking “Calm Down.” Rema was nothing short of charismatic and energetic on the Broccoli Stage as he consistently flashed a smile to the crowd while showing off his slick dance as his live band ripped through the instrumentals of his song. If you need to be convinced to go to a Rema show, his Broccoli City Festival set made a very convincing argument.
On day two, the afrobeats energy was brought forth by Asake who made interactions with the crowd a priority during his. He spent nearly half of his set by the front row barricade and in the open space that divided the VIP and general admission sections. There was even a point where he entered the general admission crowd from the back and worked his way to the front through them, which provided an up close and personal experience for his biggest fans. Asake pierced through beloved records like “Terminator,” “Sungba,” and “Joha,” before debuting records from his new album Work Of Art.
Rema and Asake went above and beyond to put on a show in their respective sets, and it’s for that reason that afrobeats gets the crown as the winner of this year’s Broccoli City Festival.
Getty Image
LOW: Logistics
This year’s Broccoli City Festival had some logistical flaws throughout the weekend that affected the overall experience of the weekend. First, fans who had to pick up their wristbands through will call at the festival were subjected to a wait that lasted over an hour in many cases. Broccoli City officials did apologize for the wait and promised changes for day two. Things at the entry point did seem to run smoother on day two, but then again, most attendees already had their wristbands by that point.
Some other issues included an insufficient amount of water cooling and fan stations throughout the festivals. Both days experienced temperatures into the 90s, but the cooling and fan stations were few in number. Though, the main stage security team made sure to supply water to the crowd which hopefully helped a bit.
HIGH: Day Two
Day two of Broccoli City Festival was by far the best day of this year’s showcase. The performers were on point from start to finish. There was the previously-mentioned stellar performance from Asake and there was Coco Jones who earned herself a viral moment by performing “Rain On Me” as raindrops poured from the sky. Kodak Black and GloRilla satisfied hip-hop lovers with their performances and OG Bobby Billions and Ryan Trey impressed with their sets at the smaller City Stage. Things moved smoother on a logistical end as fans were able to get into the festival without issue, and unlike day two, the weather cooperated to allow for the festival to go through from start to finish without interruption. As the saying goes, it’s not how you start but how you finish.
LOW: Heat & Humidity
This isn’t much to blame on Broccoli City Festival itself, but my goodness the heat and humidity was serious on both days of the festival. A towel at least was needed, but attendees who brought personal fans (especially the ones with water mist), were in the best position to defend themselves. The sun relentlessly beaming above us and the humidity standing beside made it a bit difficult to enjoy what the festival had to offer. Frequent water breaks were needed as were any and all things to stay cool and hydrated. The plus side here was with the festival getting underway at 2 p.m. each day, a bit later than other festivals, there were fewer hours of peak sunlight to endure before the sun, along with the heat and humidity, made its way out of our presence for the day.
Getty Image
HIGH: Brent Faiyaz, The Hometown Hero
I must say, I was thoroughly impressed with Brent Faiyaz’s set to close the festival weekend. The singer, who along with Broccoli City calls the DMV home, stepped out to use the weekend showcase as the kickoff moment for his F*ck The World, It’s A Wasteland Tour. For the most part, Brent stuck to records from F*ck The World and Wasteland, though he did reach back into his discography for older and more one-off releases. From start to finish, Brent’s vocals were fully present for his performance and they were rarely drowned out by a backing track. He also opted for a live band that only amplified the experience that had its tone and mood set by onstage visuals that fit perfectly with the theme of Wasteland. Brent didn’t keep this moment to himself either, he made sure to share the stage with fellow DMV artists Joony and Tre’Armani as they joined him for performances of “FYTB” and “Addictions.” If Broccoli City was a dress rehearsal for Brent’s F*ck The World, It’s A Wasteland Tour, then I suggest you do what you can to get tickets.
LOW: Small Stage
The main action at Broccoli City Festival year took place at the Broccoli Stage. All the big names brought their best through performances there, but there were still a number of acts worth paying attention to at the City Stage, the festival’s smaller stage. Foggieraw was there to perform his beloved track “Pslam 62” while Ryan Trey performed fan favorites and even brought out Mariah The Scientist! Other names like OG Bobby Billions delivered solid sets as TiaCorine and Lola Brooke also highlighted performances at this stage. With all that being said, the City Stage could have had a better set up for these performances. It wasn’t the most inviting display, which would’ve been a nice quality to reel in fans to discover a new artist. The canopy that sat over the stage and audience space was certainly clutch for the rain, but more could’ve been added to the experience to make it more presentable.
Final Thought:
Broccoli City Festival was a hectic weekend, but in the end, it was a satisfying showcase. Strong performances from Asake, Rema, Ice Spice, Brent Faiyaz, Chloe Bailey, Coco Jones, and others made it all worthwhile — especially when the dastardly sun set for the day or was at least covered by clouds. Some improvements are definitely in store for the next edition of the festival, but the highs and lows of Broccoli City shouldn’t deter you from checking out their next showcase, especially if the necessary changes are made.
On Wednesday, June 21, Asake expanded the range displayed thus far through Work Of Art singles “Yoga” and “Amapiano” featuring Olamide by adding the luxurious “Basquiat” video to the bunch.
Directed by Joshua Valle and Edgar Esteves, the lively video sets an opulent tone in the first scene, finding Asake lounging with beautiful women on a yacht. Later, he launches off of the boat into the depths of the ocean. Everything is muted for a moment — except for Asake’s spirit, as he beams underwater to reveal his teeth covered in icy grills.
Immediately after his uninhibited dive, Asake is posing in a colorful two-piece between two painters in an art studio. The resulting artwork is as striking as Asake’s performative presence. It all merges when Asake begins throwing paint against a blank canvas — even painting his face. By the video’s end, there is no discernible gap between the artist and his art.
At the end of this week, Afrobeats rising star Asake will release his second album Work Of Art. It’s a project that’ll come less than a year after his monster debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe. That project grew to be one of the best afrobeats projects of 2022 and helped to skyrocket Asake’s name to the top of the genre thanks to records like “Terminator,” “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY),” and “Sungba (Remix).” Expectations are high for Asake for his second album, especially with its second single “Amapiano” alongside Olamide. With a few days left until the release of Work Of Art, here’s what you need to know about it.
Release Date
Work Of Art will be released on June 16, 2023 through YBNL Nation and EMPIRE. It comes nine months after Asake released his debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe.
Tracklist
The tracklist for Work Of Art delivers tk songs and it can be found below.
1. “Olorun”
2. “Awodi”
3. “2:30”
4. “Sunshine”
5. “Mogbe”
6. “Basquiat”
7. “Amapiano” Feat. Olamide
8. “What’s Up My G”
9. “I Believe”
10. “Introduction”
11. “Remember”
12. “Lonely At The Top”
13. “Great Guy”
14. “Yoga”
Features
At the moment, the only listed feature on Work Of Art is Olamide as he appears on “Amapiano.” More features could be announced as the album approaches its release date of June 16.
Singles
Asake has only released two singles for Work Of Art. The first was the spiritual “Yoga” and the second was the lively “Amapiano” with Olamide.
Tour
According to a press release, Asake will embark on a North American tour this fall. The full list of dates for the tour has yet to be announced by we do know that it begins with a show in Los Angeles on September 4 and continues with another at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on September 8. That show will join other performances in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Washington, D.C. This tour will also follow other performances from Asake that include Broccoli Festival in July and The O2 in London on August 20.
Work Of Art is out 6/16 from YBNL Nation/EMPIRE. Find out more information here.
In September 2022, Nigerian afrobeats singer https://uproxx.com/music/asake-yoga-organise-the-tonight-show/ released his debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe in what capped off an excellent year for him. He took over the afrobeats world with records like “Sungba,” “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY),” “Terminator,” and “Organise” while Mr. Money With The Vibe was heralded by some as the afrobeats album of the year. While some, like myself, may have expected Asake to spend this year crafting his next project, the singer is way ahead of schedule as he announced his second album Work Of Art.
NEW ASAKE ALBUM
Asake’s sophomore album, ‘Work of Art’ is set to drop on June 15th, featuring singles Yoga, 2:30, and latest release ‘Amapiano’ ft @Olamidepic.twitter.com/UQIhExOAit
That announcement came with the release of “Amapiano” featuring Olamide, a respected afrobeats singer who signed Asake to his YBNL Nation label. It makes for their second collaboration following last year’s “Omo Ope,” and for their latest record, Asake and Olamide deliver what is undoubtedly a track perfect to start your summer parties. More records like that will be available on Asake’s upcoming album as it will arrive with 14 tracks to its name including “2:30,” “Yoga,” and the newly-released “Amapiano.” The artwork for Work Of Art, which arrives on June 16, depicts a joyous Asake in front of a pair of paintings.
You can listen to “Amapiano” and check out the artwork for Work Of Art above.
Work Of Art is out 6/16 via YBNL Nation & EMPIRE. Find more information here.
NEW ASAKE ALBUM