Besides amazing singles, we’ve also enjoyed impressive albums from several African artists. Now that Afrobeats is more popular than ever, artists are capitalizing on its growth to enlarge their discography while blessing their listeners with good music. So, out of the Afrobeats projects released this year, which stands out? Sit back as Soot Africa unravels its picks for the top 10 Afrobeats albums in 2023.
1. Timeless – Davido
This was a no-brainer. After Davido took a brief hiatus from the music scene following his family tragedy, he returned stronger and better than ever. Timeless is certainly a cohesive body of art that solidifies Davido as one of the biggest Afrobeats stars to ever come out of Nigeria. Enjoy one of our favorite hits from Timeless.
2. I Told Them – Burna Boy
Although the African Giant always had misgivings about how the industry made him feel unappreciated, he was never deterred. Instead, Burna Boy took to the studio to express himself on I Told Them. While it may not have been his most cohesive project, it was certainly one worth listening to.
3. Work of Art – Asake
Asake, also dubbed the king of consistency, is one of the artists whose work made it to our list of top 10 Afrobeats albums in 2023. Barely nine months after releasing his debut album, Asake followed through with Work of Art, which subsequently gained critical acclaim worldwide.
4. Tequila Ever After – Adekunle Gold
As Adekunle Gold continues to rebrand his artistic persona, he never fails to back it up with great music. This year, he introduced his alter ego, Tio Tequila, to his audience. He followed this introduction with one of his best albums, Tequila Ever After. Enjoy a banger from this project.
5. Boy Alone (Deluxe) – Omah Lay
Just when we thought Omah Lay’s Boy Alone couldn’t get any better, he followed through with Boy Alone Deluxe, an even better version of his debut studio album. With just a few extra tracks, the deluxe version of his debut album was still a worthy listen in 2023.
6. Unruly – Olamide
Next on Soot Africa’s top 10 Afrobeats albums of 2023 is Olamide’s Unruly. For over 12 years, Olamide has consistently dropped one album after another. This year, we got one of his best projects yet, Unruly.
7. Fountain Baby – Amaarae
Amaarae’s second studio album, Fountain Baby, was a hit among African music listeners everywhere. This project combines themes of sex, deep retrospection, violence, and religion all in one. Here’s one of the hit tracks from this album.
8. Sincerely Benson – BNXN
Formerly Buju, BNXN released his debut album this year, surpassing expectations. Sincerely, Benson lets us into BNXN’s frame of mind surrounding themes of betrayal, love, and his rise to fame. Its cohesive storytelling made it even better as one of the top Afrobeats albums 2023. Take a look.
9. Body & Soul – Joeboy
Barely a year after Somewhere Between Beauty and Magic, Joeboy released Body and Soul, a project that boldly showcases his vocal prowess and introspective songwriting abilities. Joeboy’s Body and Soul appealed to a large audience, making it one of the top Afrobeats albums 2023.
10. Gangster Romantic – Lojay
To end our list, we have Lojay’s Gangster Romantic, a project that explores the intricacies of romantic relationships and other forms of relationship dynamics and intimacies. This body of work is Lojay’s third album since his debut in 2017, and it seems to be his best yet.
And that’s all we have. Did you enjoy our rundown of the 10 top Afrobeats albums in 2023? If you did, comment below and let us know!
