Asake, who appears on the list with Wizkid’s “Jogodo,” performing in Toronto in 2024. Photo by Mensah Memories, cropped (CC BY)
Naija made the list. Apple Music’s Best Songs of 2026 includes five tracks led by Nigerian artists, with Wizkid showing up twice, NotJustOk and DancehallMag reported after the list went live on Nov. 6.
Key Takeaways
- Wizkid: “PONGO” with Jamaican producer Rvssian and Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro.
- Wizkid and Asake: “Jogodo.”
- Tems: “What You Need.”
- BNXN and Sarz: “Back Outside.” Victony: “SLICK.”
The Full Story
The two Wizkid picks pull in opposite directions. “PONGO” pushes him deeper into Caribbean and Latin circles, while “Jogodo” is a Lagos link-up with Asake, DancehallMag noted. Tems earns her spot solo, and producer Sarz, behind Wizkid’s “Come Closer” with Drake, gets in with BNXN.
Not everyone is celebrating the count. NotJustOk framed them as “the only Nigerian artists” on the list, and five entries can look modest for a sound that fills arenas worldwide.
The Social Conversation
Year-end list season has started, and the debate over how much room Afrobeats gets on global rankings is starting with it. Fans are already arguing over who got left off.
