Bright city lights, choc-a-block traffic, beach parties, daily concerts, partying till we see the sun – just a few of the ingredients that make up the recipe for a glorious Detty December. And while December has always been the official party season in Nigeria, laden with lavish splendour and a very busy period for the Nigerian music and entertainment industry specifically, things changed around the mid 2010s, when Mr Eazi popularised the phrase “Detty December.”

What was once the way we celebrated the end of the year and beginning of a new one, transcended into a full blown cultural phenomenon and tourist attraction for Lagos and Accra specifically. Marked by a month-long marathon of concerts, raves, and highly-entertaining activities, music lives at the centre of Detty December.

The music that’s popular around this end-of-year time has always played a key part in the season’s enjoyment, with the biggest hits from the past year culminating into the soundtrack of the season. Nestled at the heart of this exuberance are the party-starters that weave the fabric of our most unforgettable nights, and ultimately soundtrack the timeless memories of Detty December.

Travel through memory lane with us as we take stock of the anthems that have powered Detty December vibes across West Africa for the past decade.

2015

Baba Nla – Wizkid 

When the concept of what we know as Detty December really started to take hold, Wizkid had already spent the previous few years as one of the seasons’ champions with songs like “Don’t Dull,” “Azonto,” “Jaiye Jaiye” and Back To The Matter. As the worlds of Ghana and Nigeria came together to create Detty December, Wizkid and Legendury Beatz’ growing relationship had brought the best of both together sonically with  the first official song of the season, Final (Baba Nla). 

Coming right in the middle of the party season, “Baba Nla” became an instant and inescapable hit, and he had the whole country singing about and affirming his run at the top. With a boastful title and fitting lyrics “Say my gbedu is final, wen me drop everybody no dey tire,” it was as though Wizkid knew he had cracked the code, and was bragging about it. 

In a year filled with electronic synth-heavy records such as Skales’ “Shake Body”, Wande Coal’s “Ashimapeyin”, and hip-hop classics like Ycee’s hard-hitting “Jagaban”, “Baba Nla” served as a seismic sonic shift in the music, that reaffirmed Wizkid’s foresight and dominance of the scene. 

2016

Mad Over You – Runtown 

2016 crystallised a welcome shift in the soundscape from these parts. Inspired by Tekno’s mellifluous summer hit, “Pana,” Runtown took charge of the Ghana-inspired “pon pon” sound to deliver a peerless end-of-year masterpiece with “Mad Over You.” 

And with a key part of the Detty December experience being a seasonal whirlwind romance, songs like “Mad Over You” helped serve as a time stamp of these moments. That year, “And if she follow me go, na enjoyment go kill am oh,” was the glue that held all situationships together, stamping a memorable festive period for millennials as they came of age. Sonically, 2016 also crystallised a welcome shift in the soundscape from these parts; moving from a heavy and fast paced dance ready sound, to a more stripped down highlife inspired sound. Whilst Runtown was caught in the thick of a prolonged dispute with his record label, Eric Manny records, the singer turned his adversity into what will forever mark one of the most memorable Detty Decembers to dateuntil today. 

2017

Manya – Mut4y ft. Wizkid

For the third year running, a delicate blend of Nigerian and Ghanaian culture came together to soundtrack the party season, this time bringing more nostalgia into the mix. Back in the 2000s in Nigeria, “Akhoma Womu,” was an inescapable hit, and Wizkid brought that energy back with an interpolation of the song’s hook. 

In the same year he released his critically acclaimed LP, ‘Sounds From The Other Side,’ which contributed to African music spreading into global terrain, Wizkid rounded off the year with “Manya,” an infectious earworm that felt both nostalgic and refreshingly new. 

That same year, Wizkid illustrated his commitment to community, with a bold move at his concert where he broke the barriers between VIP and regular ticket holders, and united all his concert goers. This move is probably what cemented his GOAT status on the streets, and set him apart from his peers. The mid tempo song was the party starter of the season, and clubs, concerts, parties and more were immediately livened as soon as the song came on. Against strong contenders such as (what were the other songs of december that year). 

2018

Able God – Chinko Ekun

At the beginning of 2018, Nigerian music was decidedly in an era populated by sheeny, mid-tempo, balmy tunes that fixated on the minutiae of affection and the specter of romance. By the end of the year, Street-Pop had roared back to a prominent position within the culture thanks to a series of zeitgeist-shaping sounds that mined the pulse of the streets and came along with a glut of zesty dance styles. Chinko Ekun’s “Able God” was the most propulsive of the songs from the cluster of street-influenced jams that flooded the Nigerian music scene in that year. 

Built around a simple request to have abundant financial resources, it’s a catchy tune that reflected the cultural thrust of the year while hinting at a near-future of Nigerian Pop that would see Street-Pop reach its critical and commercial pinnacle. Produced by Rexxie, “Able God” boasted spurts of the rhythmicity that the esteemed producer infused into Street-Pop without losing the bombast that defined Street-Pop’s underground era. Rapper, Chinko Ekun, dexterously swapped verses with former YBNL act, Lil Kesh, while a then-ascendant Zlatan shared a verse of the year contender amidst his blistering come-up. From its release in August, “Able God” was simply inescapable thanks to its aspirational-yet-demanding call to action and it, rightly, served as a backdrop to year-end revelry across the country. – WO

2019

Ma Fo – Naira Marley

At the height of his powers, Naira Marley had Nigeria in a spell. Whether he repulsed you or drew you in with his devil-may-care disposition, the singer was almost omnipresent in cultural discourse. An unprecedented run in 2019 birthed a series of songs – “Am I A Yahoo Boy,” “Opotoyi,” and “Soapy” – that muscled their way to the top of the Nigerian music scene. Still, of that single streak that year, the one that ruled the airwaves come December was “Ma Fo,” his Young Jonn collab that you couldn’t escape if you were in Nigeria at the time. 

An undeniable victory lap, “Ma Fo” was produced by Rexxie, crystallizing a partnership that had developed between the producer and Naira Marley. The song was a jam for the ages that tapped into the spirit of Detty December while paying homage to Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and financial capital. Mere months after December 2019, the world would go into a lockdown that brought activities to a grinding halt. Thanks to that lockdown, “Ma Fo” was the fuel for the last full-blown blaze of hedonism in Lagos for close to 12 months. – WO

2020

KPK – Rexxie , Mohbad

The COVID-19 pandemic was more than just a global health crisis, it was a reset button on how we experienced music. Amapiano and lo-fi music peeled through the mainstream, albeit reimagined in our own way. We weren’t just listening differently, we were searching for a reminder of what outside felt like. 

Then came KPK, a reinvigorated anthem of defiance after months of isolation. Rexxie, who had quietly been sculpting the DNA of Street-Pop since the Zlatan-led Shaku Shaku explosion, was now fully in the driver’s seat. His signature street bounce paired with log drums dictated the tempo of Nigeria’s reawakening. Anchored by Mohbad’s rebellious charm, irreverent lyricism, and an unfiltered raw energy, “KPK” was a party-starter on arrival in December 2020

When COVID restrictions eased and the streets lit up again, “KPK” wasn’t just a song, it was a victory cry, and a reminder that for the first time in what felt like forever, we were really back outside.

2021

Zazoo Zeh – Portable, Poco Lee & Olamide

By the middle of December 2021 when “Zazoo Zehh” dropped, Lagos was already in full Detty December mode – streets buzzing, speakers blaring, and the air thick with the energy of a city making up for lost time.

At his core, Portable is a fighter – literally and figuratively – and “Zazoo Zehh” boldly mirrors that energy. The Agege-bred underdog had spent years clawing for attention before earning an invaluable stamp of approval from Olamide, the godfather of Street-Pop. Bolstered by the frenetic production of wonderkid, P.Priime, “Zazoo Zehh” became unavoidable.

Portable rode the wave like a man possessed, sweeping the end-of-year attention with unhinged performances. His unpredictable stage antics, and wild off-stage persona made him an instant sensation and crowned “Zazoo Zehh,” the season’s inescapable anthem. 

2022

Chance (Na Ham) – Seyi Vibez

When Seyi Vibez’s debut album, ‘Billion Dollar Baby,’ arrived near the end of 2022, it was with crackling invention and well-earned confidence. The centerpiece of the album was “Chance (Na Ham),” a blistering, if slightly-discordant song that moved between urgent pleas for a chance to be heard and some of the singer’s romantic impulses. 

Steeped in the Yoruba oral music style of apala, “Chance (Na Ham)” was polarising upon release due to its perceived lack of melody, the style of lyricism employed, and comparisons to Asake’s sound. Rather than dull its momentum, the back and forth over the song spurred it to the top just in time for Detty December, earning Seyi Vibez cultural cachet that he parlayed into a staying anthem that played across Nigeria in its peak entertainment season – WO.

2023

Cast – Shallipopi ft ODUMODUBLVCK 

By the time December 2023 arrived, Shallipopi and Odumodublvck had done more than just break into the mainstream, they had rewritten its rules. Shallipopi’s meteoric rise, built on the back of his infectious energy and near-mythical redemption arc through “Elon Musk,” had given Nigerian Street-Pop a fresh new face. Meanwhile, Odumodublvck had bulldozed through the underground with “Declan Rice,” a song as boastful as it was undeniable.

When the two finally joined forces on “Cast,” the result was volcanic. The Busy Pluto-produced track was a heady mix of Shallipopi’s hypnotic Benin-bred swagger and Odumodublvck’s no-holds-barred lyricism. Together, they created a record that moved through the streets like wildfire, fanned further by social media’s insatiable hunger for its unfettered audacity.

It was a match made in controlled chaos. Shallipopi’s surrealist street lingo provided the melody, while Odumodublvck’s guttural delivery turned it into a full-blown call to groove. Despite push back at its abrasive lyrics, “Cast” was one of those rare anthems that did not fade away but instead only got louder.

2024

Oblee – DJ YK Mule

If there’s one unshakable truth about Nigerian street music, it’s that the most unexpected moments often spark the biggest movements. A single phrase, a beat, or even a throwaway ad-lib can be plucked from obscurity and turned into an anthem provided it falls into the right hands.That’s exactly what happened with “Oblee.”

At first, it was nothing more than a casual phrase, buried deep within Seyi Vibez’ “Flakky” – a fleeting moment in a song that most would have skimmed past. But in the world of Nigerian street music, all it takes is one sharp-eared disruptor. DJ YK Mule was that disruptor.

A mad scientist of sound, DJ YK Mule has long thrived on the fringes of mainstream production, crafting hyperactive, speaker-rattling beats that refuse to go unnoticed.  When he stumbled upon “Oblee,” he drenched it in his signature mara beat, turning it into an irresistible melody . Slimcase, Qdot, and Kashcoming were enlisted for a remix that transformed the track from underground curiosity into a full-fledged street sensation.

Suddenly, “Oblee” was everywhere – pulsing through bus parks, street raves, Lagos markets, and anywhere with speakers loud enough to make walls tremble. It didn’t need a carefully plotted rollout or industry backing; the streets handled that. It reminded everyone that in Nigerian music that the streets dictate the charts, and that anything can become a phenomenon, as long as the people embrace it. And perhaps most importantly, it left behind a mantra that has taken on a life of its own: Oblee delayed is not Oblee denied.