In 2023, Amapiano was one of the most popular genres in Nigeria, as it started weaving itself into projects by popular Afrobeat stars like Davido and Kcee.
Amapiano, a Nguni word loosely translated to “the pianos,” is a South African subgenre of house music that started developing in South Africa in the mid-2010s. It is a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and lounge music, as perceived by its very short, punchy, and sharp basslines.
In this article, we will be looking into the 10 biggest Amapiano records created in 2023 and how far they succeeded in sharing African music with the world.
Unavailable – Davido featuring Musa Keys
This was undoubtedly the biggest Davido release of 2023 and with Davido being one of the top players in the Afrobeats scene, it was huge to see him embrace the alternated house music sound so fully. One can say that he executed the song so professionally due to the influence of his featured artist Musa Keys and the producers, Ragee and Magicsticks.
Unavailable peaked at number 1 on the US Afrobeats Songs Billboard charts and at number 2 on the Nigeria TurnTable Top 50 charts. The song also made it to Spotify’s 2023 Songs of Summer predictions. It currently has over 120 million streams on Spotify.
Amapiano – Asake
Asake stamped his place in the Nigerian Music scene with the release of Amapiano. As is significant to most songs that go far in the music scene, there was an indelible hook that connected the sound directly to the mental nuances that enable fans enjoy music. With this it became a household favorite for many weeks as it sat on top 1 of the Nigerian Turntable Hot 50 charts.
Amapiano has over 50 million streams on Spotify and held number 12 on the Apple Music Top 100 Songs Nigeria chart in less than 24 hours of its release.
Ojapiano – Kcee
Ojapiano was a perfect blend of Afrobeats, Igbo cultural influences and amapiano to create an amazing alteration to the already altered house music style which is Amapiano.
Kcee used the flute melodiously in the song and it peaked at number one of the Turntable charts. It has over 35 million streams on Spotify and Youtube.
Halleluyah – Ckay, Blaqbonez
Ckay definitely infused his soft vibes into his delivery of Amapiano. Although he softened the otherwise booming bass lines, his infusion of the saxophone did a lot to tame Amapiano while still enabling the genre shine through.
His collaboration with rapper, Blaqbonez was well though out as it brought a new scene to rappers jumping on the genre’s bandwagon. It has over 15 million streams on Spotify and 5 million on YouTube.
Abracadabra – Rexxie, Naira Marley, Wizkid
Abracadabra s a popular amapiano song by Nigerian artists Rexxie, Naira Marley, and Wizkid. Released in 2020, the song blends amapiano with afrobeats, creating a catchy and danceable tune. The track was well-received and contributed to the growing influence of amapiano music in the Nigerian music scene.
Bheba Bheba – Shaunmuziq, fTears
Known for its infectious beat and energetic vibe, the song gained popularity in the amapiano music genre. With its lively rhythm and captivating melodies, it swamped TikTok for months with the infectious yet simple dance moves. The music video has over 12 million views on YouTube
Mnike – Tyler ICU, Tumelo.za, DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee
It definitely took a village to create this summer amapiano masterpiece. That was definitely needed especially seeing as Amapiano veteran Dj Maphorisa who took Amapiano mainstream with Soweto Baby featuring Nigerian maestro, Wizkid was present.
Mnike remains a very popular amapiano duty and has garnered over 35 million views on YouTube making it the biggest Amapiano song by the South Africans on this list.
Yeh
If it is to be said that a song had people in a chokehold, it would be Yeh. The song represents the infectious and danceable nature of amapiano music, which has gained traction not only in South Africa but also globally, with its inclusive and collaborative energy.
Yahyupiyah – Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo, Justin99, Pee, EeQue, Chley
The lead artist on this single, Uncle Waffles was the lead producer to this well blended amapiano mix. The ditty in itself can be divided into three separate sections and still make sense as was seen in the different variations available for use as TikTok sound or dance trends.
Although it was extremely popular, it garnered only 6 million views on YouTube.
Midnight Prayer
With no official music video yet released for this sensation, Midnight Prayer made its runs in the early months after its release. It was accompanied by dance moves resembling a midnight prayer and has a mere 2.8 million views on YouTube.
We can decide to blame the low numbers on South Africans and their reluctance to stream their music but what exactly do you think about this? Which of these countries is your reigning champion?
