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Damola Durosomo
Jun. 05, 2018 05:58PM EST
Photo by Travis Matthews.

Kanye West's Album Title Has Unintentionally Boosted Burna Boy's 'Ye' Streams & We're Here For It

When the universe comes through.

In case you haven't heard Kanye West released his latest album "Ye" on Friday, and while he's currently number one on iTunes, another artist is also reaping the benefits of his album's release.

Burna Boy has also seen a major increase in streams for the afrobeats anthem "Ye" from his latest album Outside due to folks searching for Kanye's album by the same name and stumbling upon his song instead.

The artist shared a video of him and his friends relishing in the inadvertent success of the song on social media. "Thank YE!!! 😂😭 Numbers up 200% 💰," he wrote as a caption.

It's a glorious mixup, that's totally working out in Burna Boy's favor. We're glad that an even larger audience gets to enjoy the greatness that is "Ye"—a beloved song that many Nigerians want to make the national anthem—no matter how they managed to find it. The song is deserving of all of the hype it's currently receiving.

It seems that unlike Kanye, Burna Boy is earning new listeners based on the quality of his sound, rather than by steering up controversy.









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Burna Boy. Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage (via Getty Images).

The 20 Best Nigerian Songs of 2019

Featuring Burna Boy, Rema, Tiwa Savage, Zlatan, Mr Eazi, Wizkid, Teni, Davido, Lady Donli and many more.

2019 was another huge year for Nigerian music.

Zlatan's presence was ubiquitous and powered by the zeal for zanku, a dance which is now de rigueur. Rema led the charge for a group of young breakthrough artists that include Fireboy DML and Joeboy. They all represent an exciting crop of talents that point the way forward for Nigerian pop.

Burna Boy's new dominance, built around his excellent African Giant album, delivered on his rare talents, while the long wait for Davido's sophomore album, A Good Time, paid off in satisfying fashion. Simi's Omo Charlie Champagne Vol. 1 announced her departure from her longterm label. Tiwa Savage also made a highly-discussed move from Mavin Records to Universal Music Group. Meanwhile, Yemi Alade exuded female strength with her latest record, Woman of Steel.

Not to be left out, Wizkid sated demands for his fourth album with a new collaborative EP following a year of stellar features that included his presence on Beyoncé's Lion King: The Gift, an album which also boasts Tekno, Mr Eazi and Tiwa Savage. Mr Eazi also notably launched his emPawa initiative to help fund Africa's promising up-and-coming artists.

Asa returned in a formidable form with Lucid, while buzzing artists like Tay Iwar, Santi, and Lady Donli all shared notable releases. Lastly, the beef between Vector and M.I climaxed and sparked a resurgence of Nigerian rap releases from Phyno to Ycee, PsychoYP and more.

Read on for the best Nigerian songs of 2019. Listed in no particular order. —Sabo Kpade

Follow our NAIJA HITS playlist on Spotify here and Apple Music here.

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Photo by Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua via Getty

African Travelers Will Soon be Able to Enter Nigeria Without a Visa

Speaking at the Aswan Forum in Egypt, President Muhammadu Buhari said that as of January 2020, fellow Africans will instead be issued with visas upon their arrival in Nigeria.

According to Sahara Reporters, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has announced at the Aswan Forum in Egypt that fellow Africans will no longer require a visa to enter Nigeria.

However, this is not to say that travel to Nigeria will be entirely visa-less. Instead, those in possession of an African passport will be issued a visa upon their arrival in Nigeria.

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Ayanda Jiya. Photo by Sabelo Mkhabela.

South African Women Dropped the Best Debuts of 2019

We highlight 10 noteworthy albums & EPs from a new generation of vocal talent in South Africa, featuring Elaine, Ayanda Jiya, Ami Faku and more.

The South African music scene has seen an uptick in youthful, vocally gifted artists over the years. Much of this is owed to the recent global resurgence of R&B, as well as the increased significance of streaming sites, especially SoundCloud.

From internet-savvy artists creating jazz, alternative soul and house-infused spoken word to radio friendly iterations of pop and Afro-soul, 2019 has been the year of impactful debut performances.

This year ushered in the voices of a new generation of South African female artists announcing themselves to the world.

Here's a lowdown of 10 great releases from talented female vocalists, songwriters and composers marking this new era.

Read ahead below. This list is in no particular order.

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Listen to Stormzy's New Album 'Heavy is the Head'

The British-Ghanaian grime star has dropped his much-anticipated sophomore album featuring YEBBA, H.E.R., Burna Boy, Ed Sheeran, Tiana Major9 and Headie One.

British-Ghanaian rapper Stormzy has finally dropped his much-anticipated sophomore album Heavy is the Head. The album comes two years after he released his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer.

The 16-track project features the likes of American singer-songwriter YEBBA, H.E.R., Burna Boy, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, Tiana Major9 and Headie One.

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