The Future of Afrobeats: 5 Breakout Stars Ready to Shine in 2024

Most people are familiar with viral songs like “Calm Down,” “Love Nwantiti,” “Essence,” “Last Last,” and “Unavailable,” but what’s 2024 looking like for the competitive Afrobeats genre?

The Top 5 Afrobeats Breakout Stars Ranked

Which breakout stars dominated the Afrobeats genre in 2023 and are predicted to even shine more in 2024?

5. Shallipopi

Full Name	Crown Uzama
Stage Name	Shallipopi
Date of Birth	April 12, 1996
Popular Songs	“Elon Musk” & “Obapluto”

Making a comment about Shallipopi, Afrobeats legend, Wizkid posted on Instagram “And if @theycallmeshallipoi cough!! I go dance” which means “If Shallipopi coughs, I’ll dance”.

Shallipopi became famous after releasing his hit single, “Elon Musk,” which topped charts and was highly successful. He has since released back-to-back hits, including “Obapluto” and “Cast.”

4. Odumodublvck

Full Name	Tochukwu Gbubemi Ojogwu
Stage Name	Odumodublvck
Date of Birth	October 19, 1993
Popular Songs	“DECLAN RICE”, “DOG EAT DOG”, & “BLOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR”

Odumodublvck is a rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his energetic performances and a unique style of Afrobeats music that includes elements of grime.

In 2022, He signed a record deal with NATIVE Records in partnership with Def Jam. His first single under NATIVE, “Picanto” featuring ECko Miles and Zlatan, introduced Odumodublvck to the industry.

In 2023, he released the hit single “Declan Rice,” a tribute to the Arsenal football club player. The song immediately went viral, and Declan Rice himself loved the song and has been a big fan of Odumodublvck since then.

3. Ayra Starr

Full Name	Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe
Stage Name	Ayra Starr
Date of Birth	June 14, 2002
Popular Songs	“Away”, “Bloody Samaritan”, “Fashion Killer”, & “Rush”

At number 3 is Ayra Starr, a rising star breaking barriers in the Afrobeats genre. Ayra Starr was discovered by music executive/producer, Don Jazzy, who signed her to the popular Mavin Records in 2020.

Her debut single “Away,” released in January 2021 as part of her EP “Ayra Starr,” was massively successful and showed fans her vocal skills and range.

This success of her EP paved way for her first studio album, “19 & Dangerous,” which was released in August 2021. The album included hit tracks like “Bloody Samaritan” and “Rush”.

2. Asake

Full Name	Ahmed Ololade Asake
Stage Name	Asake
Date of Birth	January 13, 1995
Popular Songs	“Lady”, “Omo Ope”, “Sungba”, “Palazzo,” “Organise,” & Amapiano ft Olamide

At number 2 on our list is Asake AKA Mr. Money. Asake is a singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer, currently disrupting the Afrobeats music scene in a big way.

The unique way he mixes Afrobeats with Fuji (a popular genre of music native to the Yoruba People of Nigeria) gives his music a unique and sound that is hard to replicate.

Asake became famous with the release of his hit single “Lady”. The song immediately went viral and won him a loyal fan base.

In 2022, he signed with YBNL Nation, a record label founded by Olamide, and has since released several hit tracks like “Sungba” and Grammy-nominated “Amapiano.”

1. Rema

Full Name	Divine Ikubor
Stage Name	Rema
Date of Birth	May 1, 2000
Popular Songs	“Iron Man”, “Dumebi”, “Woman”, “Soundgasm”, & Calm Down ft Selena Gomez

Topping our list of Afrobeats breakout stars to watch out for in 2024 is the pride of Benin Kingdom, Rema.

In 2019, Rema got signed to Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records, owned by Don Jazzy. He quickly released his debut EP, “Rema,” the same year, and it included classics like “Iron Man” and “Dumebi.”

In 2022, Selena Gomez jumped on the remix of Rema’s chart-topping hit, “Calm Down”. The collaboration was massively successful, and “Calm Down” won best Afrobeats song at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

Rema has since become one of the leading stars of the new generation of Afrobeats musicians.

Wrapping Up

Based on the impact these five breakout stars had on Afrobeats and the global music scene in 2023, we at Celeb Statistics are predicting an even bigger 2024.