Ghana keeps bringing the heat in 2023 with massive hits from Black Sherif, Kelvyn Boy, Kwesi Arthur, Stonebwoy and many more
We’re officially in 2023, and what an exciting year it will be in the world of West African music so far.
The beginning of the year has seen a steady stream of afropop hits, international remixes, and more from our favorite Ghanaian artists established and emerging, and we’ve had a steady supply of jams to keep us going! Want the rundown? We’ve brought you a list of the best songs of the year so far. Check out the list below!
Kelvyn Boy ‘Down Flat’
It’s been quite the year for singer Kelvyn Boy, who dropped one of the biggest afrobeats songs of 2022 at the top of the year. It’s no news that the singer is immensely talented, but he outdid himself this time with “Down Flat,” a sleek afrobeats and highlife fusion that is doing a madness in Ghana and beyond.
Black Sherif ‘Second Sermon (Remix)’ ft. Burna Boy
In January, rising star Black Sherif issued the official music video for his smash hit single—the remix to “Second Sermon” featuring Nigeria’s Burna Boy. Currently sitting at over 7 million views on YouTube, “Second Sermon” has definitely been one of the top Ghanaian songs of 2022.
Kwesi Arthur x Adekunle Gold ‘Toxic’
Rapper Kwesi Arthur finally dropped his highly anticipated debut album Son of Jacob, which is chock-full of hits, but one of the standouts from the project was this one titled “Toxic.” It’s a solid collaboration with Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold, and together they do the Yung D3mz production justice, resulting in a smooth pop tune with serious appeal.
Darkoo ‘Always’ ft. Black Sherif
British-Nigerian rapper and singer Darkoo teamed up with Ghana’s rising star Black Sherif for “Always,” which was one of the most anticipated Ghanaian tunes so far this year. Darkoo posted a video snippet of Black Sherif’s verse a few weeks prior to its release, which quickly garnered views in the tens of thousands and sparked excitement for the incoming banger, and Blacko definitely did the song justice.
Camidoh ‘Sugarcane’ Remix ft. Mayorkun, King Promise & Darkoo
Coming hard on the heels of the success of the original version, Ghanaian singer Camidoh enhanced his buzzing record “Sugarcane” with a star-studded remix. In an effort to gain more reach for the top-charting tune, Camidoh tapped afrobeats heavyweights King Promise and Mayorkun, alongside UK based Nigerian rapper Darkoo for the official remix of “Sugarcane.”
Shatta Wale ‘On God’
Shatta Wale also came through with a solid bop in the first half. In “On God,” the controversial singer addressed certain rumors concerning his standing in Ghana’s music industry, complete with thinly veiled subliminal shots at his unnamed colleagues.
Black Sherif ‘Kwaku the Traveller’
Black Sherif is on a roll this year! As the follow up to the official remix of “Second Sermon,” the Ghanaian rapper and singer-songwriter rolled out his latest single “Kwaku The Traveller,” where he addressed a controversy surrounding an alleged breach of contract between him and his management. With the hot topic plus several catchy quotables combined with an infectious instrumental, the song went viral almost instantly, topping Nigeria’s Apple Music Top 100 Chart at the number one spot, sparking a viral TikTok challenge, and more.
Stonebwoy ‘Therapy’
Not too long ago Universal Music Group announced the signing of Ghanaian singer Stonebwoy to their divisions Def Jam Recordings, 0207 Def Jam, and Def Jam Africa in a global record deal. The news came along with the dancehall singer’s first release of 2022, this sultry sweet dancehall cut “Therapy,” his first single under the global imprints and a solid representation of the star singer’s talents.
King Promise ‘Ginger’
King Promise also came through in the first half with this solid single titled “Ginger,” a smooth afro-dancehall tune produced by the Grammy award-winning producer from the UK, JAE5. This is King Promise’s first single of the year and on this one he did what he does best.
Kuami Eugene ‘Take Away’
Lynx Entertainment star singer Kuami Eugene also came through in the first half of 2022 with his first single of the year “Take Away,” an afrobeats tune with mega-hit potential, in usual Kuami Eugene fashion.
Lasmid ‘Friday Night’
Emerging Ghanaian singer Lasmid makes a surprise entry on the list, after his most recent single “Friday Night” hit the mainstream to become a hit party anthem. Currently doing crazy numbers on digital streaming platforms, “Friday Night” has outdoored Lasmid as one of Ghana’s new acts to watch.
Wendy Shay ‘Survivor’
Singer Wendy Shay is a “Survivor” of heartbreak in her single, where she narrated her sour experience of a romance gone wrong. Wendy’s ex-lover got all the heat and all the smoke on her first single of the year, an MOG Beatz production.
Gyakie ‘FOR MY BABY’
Singing sensation Gyakie came through as well, and her latest making the rounds is titled “For My Baby.” The talented songstress who is now a Sony Music Africa act showed off her skills in this sensual mid-tempo tune tailor-made for that special someone
KiDi ‘Blessed’ ft. Mavado
KiDi’s been on a roll since the massive success of his 2021 single “Touch It.” He finally came back with a brand new offering, an afro-dancehall single simply titled “Blessed.” On this latest tune, he teamed up with Jamaican dancehall singer Mavado for a positive, upbeat bop full of gratitude.
Smallgod ft Black Sherif & Tory Lanez ‘GIDI GIDI’
Ghanaian singer, songwriter and performer Smallgod has also been making moves. On his latest, he connects with Canadian rapper Tory Lanez as well as Ghanaian sensation Black Sherif for new single “Gidi Gidi”, and together the trio served one for the books.
