CKay created musical history by ranking 98 on Billboard
Source: Twitter
CKay achieved 98th rank on the year-end chart of the “Billboard Top Artist.” As the first African artist to ever appear in the top 100 Billboard Artist year-end chart, Nigerian singing sensation and producer CKay has changed the course of music history. This achievement fuels Afrobeat’s explosive rise and disruption of the international music industry.
Ckay ranked No.98 on "Billboard top Artists" year-end chart. The first African artiste to attain this height 👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/A2wOYhqd8e
— MBAH (@Mbahdeyforyou) December 5, 2022
More About CKay
Chukwuka Ekweani, well-known as Ckay, is a Nigerian vocalist, songwriter, and record producer signed to Warner Music South Africa and Atlantic Records. He was previously signed to ADA, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group’s Chocolate City, an independent label service provider.
When Ckay was at the height of his international career, Asa Asika signed him to The Plug Entertainment as his manager.
With his infectious hit track, Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah), the well-known singer ranked 98 on Billboard’s list of the best-selling artists in the United States in 2022. The song achieved rank 17 on the Billboard Global 200 songs chart and 55 on the Hot 100 chart.
CKay performing “Love Nwantiti” for BBC 1xtra's Afrobeats Conerto 🤩🥂 pic.twitter.com/lrHQ29O8lN
— African Folder (@africanfolder) December 5, 2022
With Nigerian rapper Burna Boy scheduled to perform at London Stadium on June 3 and to headline a UK stadium as the first African artist, 2022 has been yet another fantastic year for African music, and the trend is sure to continue through 2023.
Love Nwantiti by CKay, which made its debut in 2019 and gained popularity through several international remixes on TikTok, peaked at the top of the first Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart on April 2. It has received over 1 billion Spotify streams and is one of the most Shazammed songs of the year.
Trends indicate that the largest export market for African music is not just Nigeria.
With their hits Wait For U, Essence remix, and Peru, the respective artists, Terms, Wizkid, and Fireboy, DML also appeared on the Billboard 100. The song Lift Me Up, heard in the recently released Black Panther 2: Wakanda Terms, and superstar Rihanna co-wrote Forever. Burna Boy’s Last Last debuted on the worldwide 200 at number 156, while Rema’s remix of Calm Down with Selena Gomez debuted at number 124.
The top 5 most streamed Afrobeats projects on Spotify of all-time:
— NupekoTv~Lafiagi (@nupekotv) December 15, 2022
#1. Burna Boy, African Giant – 626.7M
#2. CKay, CKay The First – 621.1M
#3. Wizkid, Made In Lagos (Deluxe) – 545.1M
#4. Burna Boy, Love, Damini – 460.6M
#5. Fireboy DML, Playboy – 344.9M pic.twitter.com/x2TLH7KdRW
Trends indicate that African music is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, not just in Nigeria, the continent’s largest export market, but also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Tanzania. It is no longer surprising to hear the South African artist Master KG’s song Jerusalema on American or European radio, to hear Afrobeats featured in celebrities’ social media posts, or to see African performers on well-liked American talk shows.
Affluent African musicians are also emerging. Burna Boy, also known as the African giant, created history by becoming the first African artist to perform there in front of more than 20,000 fans.
African musicians and international music celebrities are working together increasingly frequently. Even though this is nothing new, it has only recently been commonplace to collaborate on projects. Just this year, Rema’s “Calm Down” included Selena Gomez, Burna Boy’s “For My Hand” featured Ed Sheeran, and Future’s “Wait For U” featured Tems and Drake.
