The women in Nigeria’s music industry have done phenomenally well, demonstrating their value and time over the last decade, gaining various ground breaking records in Africa.
Female artists in Nigeria appear to be undervalued. Perhaps it’s a cultural issue that male musicians have an advantage in the profession. Whatever the case may be, their outstanding contributions to the Nigerian music business have propelled them to this point.
The quality of their music, the vibe they give Nigerians, their popularity, social media influence, successes, accolades and recognition, lyrics, impact, and length of time in the game were all taken into account.
Despite the fact that becoming one of the best musicians in the industry takes a lot of effort, few female musicians have attained this status above their female colleagues in the music industry. However, we tried to be unbiased when compiling our exclusive 7 best female musicians list, which we believe would appeal to a wide range of Nigerians.
1. Tiwa savage
Tiwa Savage is the queen of African pop and one of the top ten most liked Nigerian celebrities on Instagram. She began singing as a backup singer at the age of sixteen. After graduating from the University of Kent with a degree in business administration, she enrolled in a music school at the age of 27.
Tiwa made her debut in the Nigerian music industry in 2006 with her breakthrough single “Kele Kele love”, which she wrote herself. The
award-winning female singer and performer has never looked back since she began her career in music.
She joined Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records label in 2012, (One of the biggest record labels in Nigeria). They had a string of popular singles, including Without My Heart, Dorobuci, Eminado, and a slew of others. As a result of her dominance in the Nigerian music industry as a woman, she has received numerous endorsement deals from companies like Maggi, MTN, Forte oil, Pepsi, and others.
She has won numerous prizes, including the Headies Award, MTV Africa Music Award, MTV Europe Music Music Award, and many others, establishing her as Nigeria’s top female musician. Her music style, competence, relevant lyrics, and other attributes have earned her worldwide acclaim and fans.
2. Simi
Simisola, the “Joromi” music crooner is one of Nigeria’s top female musicians. Since her breakthrough into the male-dominated music industry in 2014 with the song “tiff,” the music sensation hasn’t slowed down. Simi is a Nigerian A-list performer with a wonderful voice, music style, and professionalism.
She recorded another duet with rapper Falz after the success of her well-received hit “Soldier,” in which she performed with him. She was nominated in three categories for The Headies 2016 for the duet ” Chemistry,” for which she won an award.
Simi’s biggest hit was ‘Duduke,’ which was one of the Top Ten Nigerian Songs in 2020.
3. Yemi Alade
Yemi Alade is undeniably among Nigeria’s top female musicians. She is one of the continent’s most brilliant and well-liked female musicians. The Effyzzie music group singer hasn’t slowed down since her debut in the music industry with her smash song “Johnny.”
Yemi Alade debuted in the music industry in 2013 and has since gained a lot of acclaim for her abilities. Her haircut, fashion trends, lyrics, and music videos all reflect her enthusiastic performance and African-inspired flair.
In the music world, her style has earned her the title “Mama Africa.” Yemi’s signature African styles, music beats, and dancing techniques are recognized by every music lover in Africa. Among the many male and female musicians on the African continent, the music sensation has established herself as one of Nigeria’s and Africa’s top female musicians.
4. Tems
Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, made a name for herself in the music industry in 2019 after her single ‘Try Me’ became a smash, and she has continued to give music fans a reason to give her more listening time through the top-notch delivery on her tracks.
In 2020, she went even harder, releasing the EP ‘For Broken Ears,’ which featured tracks that stayed on the ‘Apple Top 100 Songs in Nigeria’ for weeks. Tems was also featured on Khalid & Disclosure’s ‘Know Your Worth (Remix)’ and Wizkid’s ‘Essence’ off the ‘Made In Lagos’ album.
Tems received a mention from Grammy Award winner Chris Brown on December 19, 2020. She was nominated for The Headies award in 2019 for Best Vocal Performance (Female) and Best Alternative Song, and she was also nominated for the ‘Next Rated’ award in 2020.
5. Teni
Teni burst onto the music world like a shocking Netflix blockbuster film, gaining a massive and devoted fans, followers, admirers, and fame in the blink of an eye. Teniola Apata, the young music star’s real name, is the younger sister of Niniola, a Nigerian female singer.
She began working in the music industry in 2016, after graduating from American Continental University in the United States with a degree in business administration. In 2016, she released her first single, “Amen.” In 2017, the exceptional female singer produced Fargin, an intriguing tune that was enthusiastically danced to in parties and clubs and was aired on music networks.
Music fans, celebrities, and the media in general praised her talent and expertise in each of the tracks. In just four years, the
superstar artist has toured several countries, performed before sold-out shows, and received numerous awards and accolades.
6. Niniola
Niniola Apata, a lovely singer, is one of Nigeria’s most talented female musicians. The rock artist, who is Teni’s older sister, made her debut in the music industry in 2014 with the publication of her single ” Ibadi.”
The song became the main topic of conversation across the country, and it was well-received. In 2015, it earned her a nomination for the Nigeria Entertainment Award in the category of most promising act to watch. Niniola was the third runner-up in the sixth edition of Project Fame West Africa before making her debut in the music industry.
Her breakthrough in the industry was established by her fame in the competition, but her talent and experience set her apart from other musicians. The debut singles rose in popularity, and the music for the second season of the award-winning Nigerian film “Gidi Up” was utilized as the soundtrack.
Niniola has continued to amaze fans with her distinct talent since breaking into the burgeoning industry, and she is unquestionably one of Nigeria’s best female musicians.
7. Seyi Shay
Oluwaseyi Joshua, better known by her stage name
Seyi Shay, began singing at a young age since her mother was a chorister, her older sister was a songwriter, and her brother was a disc jockey. All of this inspired her to join her school choir at the age of six and sing with them on a world tour.
She attended a music school and had formal music training before enrolling at the University of East London to study business management. Her music career began when she obtained a record deal with a George Martins-affiliated label.
After a few years, she formed Boadicea, an all-girl music group. In 2008, they split up, and she joined a new girl band called From Above. The group was popular, and Mathew Knowles’ (Beyonce’s father) management business signed them to a record deal.
Following her triumph in London, the singer went to Nigeria in 2011 to continue her singing career. She had two incredible singles, “Loving Your Way” and “No Le Le,” which helped her break into the Nigerian music scene.
In 2014, she launched the hit single “Ragga Ragga,” which topped the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 chart for almost a week. In 2015, she released her debut studio album, Seyi or Shay, as a result of her success. Seyi’s music pace and tracks are impressive as they were in her early days, and she still remains one of Nigeria’s top female musicians.
In Review
Having stated everything there is to say about the Nigerian music industry, its well-known that this incredibly skilled and powerful female musicians have carved out spaces for themselves in the industry. These Top 7 Best Female Musicians in Nigeria are unquestionably the actual MVPs of the Nigerian music industry.
Despite the criticism and lack of respect they receive from music fans when compared to their male counterparts, they continue to make waves around the world. The inclusion of Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade, among other African male musicians, on the track list of Beyonce’s latest album “The Lion King: The Gift,” exemplifies this global trend.
Yemi Alade was featured on two tracks by the Grammy Award winner, whereas the other male and female Nigerian artists, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Tekno, Wizkid, and Mr Eazi, were only featured on single tracks. Apart from demonstrating that Nigerian female musicians are masters of their profession, the video also draws attention to the Nigerian music industry as a whole.
Similarly, this partnership with the world’s best female musician demonstrates that Nigeria not only has outstanding music, but also a large number of talented female musicians capable of commanding attention throughout Africa and beyond.