Breaking Through the Sound Waves: Top 10 Breakout Artists of 2025
The Nigerian music industry remains a cauldron of creativity, a space where new voices are hewing their own lanes and pushing the boundaries of sound. In 2025, a new class of rising stars stepped onto centre stage, bringing bold perspective, distinctive style, and genre-bending artistry that moved culture forward.
From pioneering street-hop acts to soulful newcomers and experimental creators, these are artists who didn’t just pop up; they changed the conversations. Here’s a rundown of 2025’s breakout talents whose music, influence, and momentum defined the year.
1. MAVO
If 2025 had a poster boy for rapid stardom, it would be Mavo. In just six months, an ascent reminiscent of Asake’s 2022 run — he was a household name. Powered by Escaladizzy’s influence, relentless social buzz, and a talent for flipping everyday relatability into pure LAMBA, Mavo has trended for something almost every week. His rise is proof that charisma, internet fluency, and distinct lingo can build a movement faster than any PR machine.
2. FIRSTKLAZ
Firstklaz didn’t just enter the scene; he charged in with the full force of Hausa-infused pop, an instantly distinguishing sound within a market swamped by the same sonic palettes. His breakout came from embracing the cadence of the North with confidence and identity, making his style both deeply culturally rooted and masterfully youth-driven. In a year where authenticity cut through noise, Firstklaz proved that leaning into your origins isn’t just refreshing but powerful enough to dominate charts.
3. WAVESTARR
Not R&B. Not Afropop. Wavestarr sits firmly at the heart of today’s alté wave, one of the biggest underground pushes we’ve seen in recent years. His entry into mainstream consciousness came through the Tales of Yahoo movement, which spotlighted the experimental, gritty, and deeply expressive corners of Nigerian youth culture. 2025 has undeniably been a milestone year for alté artists, and Wavestarr stands as one of the community’s brightest sparks.
4. FAMOUS PLUTO
The full song hadn’t even dropped before Nigerians found themselves going viral with Famous Pluto. One clip. One snippet. That was all it took, and TikTok declared him the next big thing. His rollout marked a new era in which sound bites can outrun traditional promotional cycles. Famous Pluto turned curiosity into demand and demand into full-blown fandom, proving that virality isn’t just luck-it can be a strategy, too.
5. ZAYLEVENTEN
Zaylevelten didn’t break in by being the loudest in the room; he rose by being the most intentional. His airy vocals, mood-soaked production, and understated writing tapped directly into the post-Gen Z shift toward calm, emotionally centred music. While the scene chased high-energy records, Zaylevelten carved a lane built on intimacy, atmosphere, and replay value.
His ascent shows that in 2025, subtlety isn’t just an aesthetic, it’s a movement, and he’s one of its clearest leaders.
6. OG ABBAH
When Kakashi hit TikTok, nobody could perfectly explain how the wave started-but it didn’t matter. Og Abbah became the face of a trend that took over feeds nationwide. What sets him apart is not just that the song went viral, but that he sustained momentum after it did. He channelled the chaos of youth culture, capturing a moment and turning it into a pipeline of consistent attention.
7. EVADO
Stars are not made only in Lagos, and Evado is proof. Quietly and steadily, he has built a movement that is huge in the East, similar to the impact Jeriq once had in his early days. Stadium crowds scream his lyrics, and street fans treat him like a hometown hero. His rise has reshaped the conversation about regional dominance, showing that an artist can become a superstar without ever chasing the Lagos spotlight. Evado isn’t just emerging; he’s ruling the East.
8. KUNMIE
When Arike dropped, it wasn’t just a hit; it was a cultural reset. Kunmie brought romance back into mainstream listening, turning everyday lovers into storytellers once more. The song became a soundtrack to soft moments, mushy captions, and endless TikTok love edits. In a year that was dominated by fast-tempo records, Kunmie managed to carve out space for tenderness.
9. CHAMPZ
Champz entered the year with a powerful cosign: Wizkid. What makes him breakout-worthy, though, isn’t the endorsement; it’s what he did with it. He made music that could stand on its own, smooth vocals against sleek production, with that unmistakable Lagos cool. It’s been a steady, strategic, refreshingly unforced ascent.
10. KIDD CARDER
Kidd Carder’s rise wasn’t an accident; it was momentum stacked on momentum. He first caught fire on TikTok with a breakout snippet that snowballed into a full-blown viral moment, introducing his sound to millions. But his real crossover came when he teamed up with Young Jonn for “Calculate,” a collaboration that pushed him from “TikTok sensation” to a fast-rising mainstream contender. With two viral waves in one year, Kidd Carder has proven he’s not just trending, he’s building a catalogue that sticks.
The Future
2025 proved one thing: the Nigerian soundscape is expanding faster than ever. From the underground to the North to the East to the viral streets of TikTok, these artistes didn’t just break out – they redefined what breakthrough even means. And this is only the beginning.