From high-energy dance crazes like Nigeria’s zanku to the groovy tunes of South Africa’s amapiano, 2021 is going strong for popular African music.

Both emerging and veteran artists pushed their respective sounds beyond borders this year, just as fresh talent from across the continent brought their creative energy into the mix by combining originality all the while paying homage to the greats.

This roundup, however, highlights the african artists, acknowledges the dominance (once again) of Nigeria’s popular music scene and also takes stats from streaming platforms into account.

Take a listen in this particular order (yes, it is a playlist!) and dig into the top Nigeria and South African songs of 2021 so far.