Growing up in a Christian family is one thing; growing up in a Christian family that can’t do without church and all its activities is another. I happened to be born into the latter. I attended a small but growing Pentecostal church that placed a heavy emphasis on godliness and strict adherence to church doctrine.
As a choir member, one thing our pastors never failed to stress was that the music we sang had to glorify God. To them, this meant avoiding anything remotely resembling gospel songs that incorporated Afrobeats elements, a music style now commonly known as Afro-Gospel.
This meant sticking to hymns or songs by traditional gospel artists, such as Bola Are, Panam Percy Paul, Funmi Aragbaye, Baba Ara, Nathaniel Bassey, and Tope Alabi, which offered a familiar sound for the congregation. However, over time, the rules had to shift because young people stopped attending church.
That raises a crucial question: Does gospel music lose its essence if it borrows the sound and structure of Afrobeats, as long as its message still reflects the Christian faith? To some, the answer is that any music that draws from “the world” dilutes the sacred. But to others, especially younger believers, it’s a necessary evolution that it’s simply gospel in the language of now.
The reality on the ground, however, tells a different story. The rise of modern, youth-driven churches in Nigeria suggests that many young Christians are seeking worship experiences that mirror their realities, with services that honour their beliefs while also speaking their sonic language. For many young believers, this meant turning to gospel artistes who could express spiritual truths through melodies, rhythms, and flows that mirrored the texture of our everyday lives. It’s one of the key reasons Afro-Gospel has seen a steady rise in recent years. In a 2024 interview with Channels TV, Gaise Baba captured the moment succinctly when he said, “Afrobeats has had its run, it’s time for Afro-Gospel.”
Yet, this is not the first time gospel music has ridden a wave of mainstream attention. In the late 2000s, urban gospel artists like Midnight Crew, Infinity, Lara George, Bouqui, and Dekunle Fuji dominated both airwaves and church gatherings. It was nearly impossible to walk into a Nigerian church without hearing “Igwe,” “Olori Oko,” or Bouqui’s infectious “Lorile.”
That era was marked by a hopeful kind of experimentation and a willingness to stretch gospel music beyond its traditional boundaries and into the world of pop.
At that time, it seemed like Afro-Gospel was poised for permanence. But over the next decade, the momentum slowed. Worship music, the slower, more meditative gospel music, reclaimed dominance. Many of the pioneering groups disbanded: Mike Abdul left Midnight Crew, members of Infinity went their separate ways, and others relocated abroad. The flame of Afro-Gospel dimmed, though it never completely went out.
A New Rhythm for a New Generation
If the mid-2000s marked the planting of Afro-Gospel’s earliest seeds, then the 2020s have become the harvest season. In recent years, the genre has been on a visible upward trajectory, one that came to a head in 2025.
Gaise Baba, a long-time presence in Nigeria’s gospel music scene, had been steadily building a discography, cultivating a loyal audience, and pushing the limits of what gospel could sound like. But it wasn’t until 2022 that he scored a breakout hit with the groovy, irrepressible “Elijah Level.”
The track, both catchy and prophetic, marked a turning point, not just for Gaise himself, but for Afro-Gospel as a genre. It proved that a song could be deeply spiritual yet unmistakably contemporary, blending the lyrical boldness of Christian faith with the bounce and swagger of Afrobeats.
At first listen, “Elijah Level” feels like a boast track. But beyond its braggadocio is deep spiritual message. The lyric “Plenty chariots dey run for my front / But when I begin my run / E go be like say I dey on steroids” references the biblical story of Elijah outrunning Ahab’s chariot in 1 Kings 18. That same imagery is reframed through Nigerian street lingo with the line, “Awa’n sare ju Ferrari lo” (We run faster than Ferraris). It is a relatable street-inspired line. Still, it is also a metaphor for divine acceleration and supernatural empowerment.
What gives “Elijah Level” its brilliance is how it reimagines scripture in the voice and vernacular of everyday believers. It’s a reminder that gospel music can be both spiritually rich and culturally relevant.
In 2025, Gaise Baba reached a new high with the remix of his 2024 track “No Turning Back”, featuring Lawrence Oyor, a reimagination of the classic hymn “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” While the original version carried the slow, solemn quality of hymn books and pews, Gaise’s rendition pulses with log drums.
Earlier in the year, Lawrence Oyor had already made headlines with “Favour,” a slow-burning worship anthem with a chorus so catchy it became a TikTok mainstay. Within the first quarter of 2025, the song had amassed over 50 million streams, making it one of the most-streamed Nigerian songs of the year, surpassing even some major Afrobeats releases that typically dominate the charts.
Then came February’s “We Will Be Many” by emerging act Saelem, featuring Lawrence Oyor and Moses Akoh. The track, carried by a vibrant Afrobeats rhythm, gained massive attention across gospel and mainstream circles. Its hook, “The nations are waiting / The people are hungry o / The Master is in need of vessels…”, quickly became a kind of rallying cry for a new generation of spirit-filled believers who also understand virality.
Now, halfway through 2025, three Afro-Gospel tracks have already emerged as some of the most culturally significant Nigerian songs of the year. These tracks dominate social media trends, climb streaming charts, and soundtrack devotionals, youth prayer meetings, and TikTok skits alike.
Asides these breakout moments lies an ecosystem teeming with talent. Andendlessocean and Greatman Takit continues to evolve as one of the genre’s most expressive voices. Obareengy, Angeloh, and Limoblaze expand the genre’s reach with crossovers that blend gospel conviction with mainstream sensibilities. And underneath the mainstream radar, up-and-coming voices like Pillar YRR and K3ndrick are refining a new wave that feels deliberate, urgent, and full of intent.
A Cultural Shift or Another Passing Phase?
So, is this a passing trend or a deeper cultural shift, a kind of reclamation of sound by a generation of believers? It’s easy, and perhaps convenient, to dismiss Afro-Gospel’s rise as just another trend. But that would be a misreading of the hunger that fuels its growth.
Beyond the upbeat melodies, catchy hooks, and viral dances lies a generation of Christians trying to hold on to faith in a time when belief feels increasingly complex. Afro-Gospel doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. What it offers instead is a starting point and a sonic space where God can be encountered in the cadence of everyday life.
