Wizkid didn’t just make Apple Music’s Best Songs of 2026 list, he made it twice. That makes him the most represented Nigerian act on a selection that went live on Friday, November 6th 2026, and his two entries couldn’t sound further apart in where they come from.
The first is “PONGO,” a three way link up with Jamaican producer Rvssian and Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro.
The second is “Jogodo,” which pairs him with Asake for a collaboration that keeps things firmly rooted at home.
Put those two side by side and you get a neat snapshot of where Wizkid sits right now. One record pushes him deeper into Caribbean and Latin circles, while the other is a Lagos meeting between two of the country’s biggest names.
Tems also earns a place with “What You Need,” a solo record. She’s already a Grammy winner, taking Best Melodic Rap Performance for her part on Future’s “Wait for U” with Drake, so seeing her hold a spot on her own feels like a continuation rather than a surprise.
BNXN gets his nod through “Back Outside,” his collaboration with producer Sarz. Sarz has long been one of the most trusted hands behind Nigerian hits, including Wizkid’s “Come Closer” with Drake, so the pairing has real pedigree.
Victony closes out the Nigerian contingent with “SLICK.” He first broke through to a much wider audience with “Soweto,” especially after the 2023 remix with Don Toliver, Rema and Tempoe, and this placement suggests that momentum hasn’t faded.
That’s five songs and five Nigerian artists in total. Apple Music frames the list as a collection of tracks that shaped the global scene this year, and the Nigerian picks span solo releases, homegrown team ups and cross continental collaborations.
There’s another way to read the numbers, though. NotJustOk, which first reported the selection, ran it under a headline calling these “the only Nigerian artists” on the list, and that wording carries a little edge.
For a country whose sound has spent the last few years filling arenas abroad and racking up streams worldwide, five entries can look modest.
Fans will likely argue over who got left out, and some will see the count as a sign that Afrobeats still fights for room on lists dominated by American and European pop.
Others will point to the variety of what did get in. Between a Latin crossover, a street ready Wizkid and Asake record, a Tems solo cut, a producer led BNXN track and a Victony single, the selection covers a lot of ground for such a small number of songs.
Wizkid’s double appearance also lands as year end season kicks into gear. With more platforms and publications set to roll out their own rankings in the coming weeks, the debate over how much space Nigerian music gets is only just getting started.
