In the music industry, there are two categories of stars: those with longevity and influential impacts, whose hit singles span across years and transcend eras, and those who are less fortunate to have that luxury and fade away with an era. Within the realm of these era-defining giants, there exists a class of stars who rose to fame with a single song that was the heat of the moment, only to see their fame fizzle out along with the song.
In the Nigerian Afrobeats sphere, there has been a plethora of Afrobeats One-hit wonders over the years. OGs like Zule Zoo, Weird MC, Waconzy, and J’odie are old-timers known for their one-hit wonders. Their songs were staples during their popularity but they were unable to recapture that spark, leading to their eventual decline after their hit singles. In the last decade, there have been a number of stars who rose to prominence with just one or maybe two hits but then fizzled out, unable to replicate that level of fame.
OLAKIRA
Throughout 2020, amidst the release of many classic albums and songs, Olakira emerged with one of the biggest hits of the year. The infectious flow and vibe of his single “In My Maserati” brought a refreshing sound to the music scene. This single garnered immense popularity, propelling him to fame and even earning him a feature with Davido—a feat that is widely known to require an elite level of recognition. After the success of “In My Maserati,” Olakira has had a respectable run, releasing two EPs and a handful of singles. However, despite his efforts, he has unfortunately been unable to reproduce the level of fame he attained with “In My Maserati,” both the original and the remix.
JAMOPYPER
The trajectory of Jamopyper’s career appeared very promising. He experienced a breakthrough in 2020 with his hit single “If No Be You” featuring Mayorkun, followed by signing to Zlatan’s ZANKU records later that year. Additionally, his collaboration on “Of Lala” with Zlatan and Rahman Jago earned him recognition, including a nomination for Next Rated artiste at the Headies award show in the same year. These achievements were indicative of a bright future in the Afrobeat community, a trajectory shared by many of the industry’s biggest stars. However, following this initial success, Jamopyper has not produced another notable hit. Despite releasing multiple songs and even an album last year, none have reached the magnitude of his peak hit or come close to replicating its success.
CARTEREFE
Carterefe, objectively speaking, was not initially meant to be on this list. He is already an established comedian and skitmaker in his own right, having ventured into music primarily out of passion, as far as we understand. Nonetheless, he could be largely considered a one-hit wonder. In 2022, he released “Machala,” inspired by his admiration for Wizkid and his eventual meeting with him in Ghana after years of following. “Machala” performed exceptionally well in terms of numbers and even topped the Apple Music charts, setting a record-breaking feat. However, the impact of that hit has diminished since then. While he has released other singles that gained some attention, most of them have been due to the comedic quality of the singles rather than their actual musical quality and organic popularity.
SUGAR BOY
There was a period in 2015/2016 when G-Worldwide was at the forefront of the conversation as one of the biggest record labels in the industry. Their roaster boasted the two biggest youngsters in the country: a young and budding Kiss Daniel and Sugarboy, both dominating the industry with hits. Sugarboy, in particular, was a significant presence at the time. Apart from collaborating with Kiss Daniel, his label mate, he had his own hits, most notably “Hola Hola,” which became a hall of fame Nigerian hit. However, unlike Kiss Daniel (now Kizz Daniel), Sugarboy’s career trajectory has not seen the same level of success since his peak. Despite being fairly consistent in his releases, he has struggled to regain the spotlight he once held during that period.
KOKER
In 2016, Koker experienced an incredible surge in popularity with his single “Do Something,” delivering a vibe that was both refreshing and seldom heard from a young artist. The single presented a lighthearted Fuji banger in a fashion that resonated with audiences, quickly becoming a staple hit. Not long after, he followed up with another chart-topper, “Kolewerk,” solidifying his status as a hitmaker. The success of “Kolewerk” even earned him a feature from the street king himself, Olamide. However, despite this early success, almost eight years have passed without another popular song from the hitmaker. This can be partially attributed to his inconsistent releases, with his last release dating back to 20209. Despite his undeniable talent and initial impact, Koker’s career seems to have stalled due to these factors.
GOYA MENOR
In 2022, Goya Menor made a significant impact on the music scene with his collaboration with Nektunez. Together, they put their own spin on the already popular song “Ameno” by the band Era. This song had already been circulating in Nigeria, especially in clubs, where its mysterious and eerie nature perfectly complemented the nightlife atmosphere. The phrase “dorime” even became a Nigerian slang for heavy spending in a nightclub.
Goya Menor and Nektunez transformed the song into an Amapiano hit, with Goya Menor infusing elements of popular Nigerian fraternity slang into the single, resulting in a smash hit. However, after the song ran its course, Goya Menor’s time in the spotlight came to an end.
HUMBLE SMITH
In the same year, 2016, which has been mentioned numerous times, Humble Smith released “Osinachi,” a song that became widely known by virtually every music-conscious Nigerian during that period. The song dominated the airwaves for the most part of the year and even earned a feature from Davido. However, like many other artists, he never experienced a resurgence in success afterward. Other singles such as “Focus” and “Jukwese” attempted to replicate the success of “Osinachi,” but they fell short of achieving the same level of popularity and impact.
CHINKO EKUN
Ekun was part of YBNL in 2015 but departed a year later. It was under YBNL where he gained popularity for his rap skills, flows, and even his use of Chinese gibberish in his raps. However, it wasn’t until 2018 that he achieved his first hit with “Able God” featuring Zlatan and Lil Kesh. This success came during the Zanku craze and perfectly fit the movement, propelling the song to hit status. Six years have passed since then, and despite releasing multiple songs and projects, he has yet to replicate the success of “Able God” with another hit from his own catalog.
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