A Look Back at How OkayAfrica's 2025 Artist Picks Performed

We all know how unpredictable Afrobeats and African music can be. People often make calculated guesses, but no one knows for sure where the soundscape will swing or which new artists will rise to prominence during a particular period of time. However, a few cues are immensely helpful when making such predictions. 

When OkayAfrica curated a list of African Artists to Watch earlier this year, some of the parameters included the artists’ ingenuity and how they’ve managed to push their respective brands. Becoming relevant in the music industry doesn’t only concern ability; there’s also a lot of power in charisma and how the artist moves through the world. 

Looking back at our January predictions, we were curious to see how the artists fared throughout the year. The majority of the artists had a good year, from going on tours to collaborating with legacy artists to winning some important awards.

Yamê 

For instance, the promising French Cameroonian artist Yamê lived up to his potential. Just a few days after he was included in OkayAfrica’s 2025 artists to watch list, he won the Grand Jury prize at the Music Moves Europe Awards, joining the likes of Hozier, ROSALÍA, and Dua Lipa, who are all previous winners. 

Yamê also released his debut album ÉBĒM in June, imprinting his exciting genre-bending style over the 14-track body of work. With cinematic beats, splintering flows, and unassuming French-drenched melodies, it’s one of the better projects of the Black diaspora this year. No surprise he took the project on tour, with its 21 dates ending in Barcelona within the next few days. 

FOLA 

Similarly, Nigerian artist FOLA enjoyed a sterling year. Until the recent rise of alte-leaning Mavo, there was no argument that FOLA was to be crowned ‘next rated’ for his efforts across the scene. It’s impressive when a relatively new artist features alongside veteran acts like Wizkid (“One Condition”) and Kizz Daniel (“Titi” and “Lost”), yet isn’t overshadowed by their influences. 

FOLA has gone on to become his own man, from delivering hooks with a master’s assurance (“Get Better”) to matching BNXN’s sweet talk on “Very Soon.” He also put out his much-anticipated debut album, Catharsis, revealing his affinity for soft-toned love records. According to Spotify data, FOLA was the seventh most-played Nigerian artist of the year, a gargantuan leap for an artist who was still circling the doors of recognition just last year. 

Usimamame and Maglera Doe Boy

It was also a good year for South African rap artist Usimamame, who became an ambassador for global sneaker brand Converse and was awarded Best Male Artist by Metro FM. Although it was a relatively slim year in terms of output, the artist successfully strengthened his branding. 

Fellow South African rapper Maglera Doe Boy had a similar year release-wise, although a stronger catalog of projects. From performing and curating the MAXHOSA African fashion show at the Paris Fashion Week to featuring on the soundtrack of the international series Godfather of Harlem, it was a rounded taste of acclaim for the artist. Cue in his BET nomination for Best New International Artist (a category he shared with another artist on the list, Abigail Chams) and you get one of the best credentials on this list. 

Winny

For the women on the artists to watch list, it’s clear that Winny was the most acclaimed throughout the year. She didn’t release much new music, but the strength of her previous songs carried her onto high artistic plains, like her “Pele” collaboration with rap veterans Show Dem Camp. For the big one, Winny also worked with Grammy-winner Fred Again on a song titled after her (how about that?) built around a sample of her voice. 

Although fellow Nigerian singer-songwriter Amaeya didn’t share a similar level of acclaim, she did register several good records, her latest “VITAMIN” featuring soulful singer Moelogo and the distinct duo Boybreed. It wasn’t much different for Kenyan act Elsy Wameyo, whose solo release was the self-titled WAMEYO, although she had a much stronger performance catalog, organizing a tour across her resident country of Australia while also performing at the Kilele Summit, a prominent Nairobi-based music and tech event. 

anendlessocean and Serøtonin

Both anendlessocean and Serøtonin had good years, although the latter didn’t put out a lot of music. However, his “Venus” record, per Spotify, was one of the year’s most-played songs. The prolific anendlessocean strengthened his fan base by putting out the Sceptre EP and a slew of singles. This December, he also organized an intimate show in his resident city of Lagos. 

Sudanese rapper Soulja had a relatively quiet year, but he released a few records while keeping his spot as one of the leading rappers in North Africa. By contrast, Ghana’s King Paluta was one of the best-rated artists in West Africa during this period, winning the Artist of the Year (Male) at the Ghana Entertainment Awards held in the US. He also put out several records, purposefully extending his relevance after last year’s impactful LP, Give Time Some Time. 

It remains to be seen which artists will make their name in the coming year, but we certainly did well on this year’s selection. Yes, we’ll pat ourselves on the back.