You Need To Hear The Nigerian Sound That's Taking The World By Storm

Referred to as ‘Pon Pon’ because of the synth notes that come mostly in pairs, this new sound from Nigeria became popular with Tekno’s ‘Pana’, which became a club banger simply for its freshness. Other musicians like Runtown and Davido have ensured it stays on the airwaves by releasing more hits.

Although still heavily influenced by what is referred to as Afrobeats – not to be confused with Afrobeat – and recently dubbed ‘Afropop’ by legendary dance artiste and activist Yeni Kuti, the fresh Pon Pon sound has taken the airwaves by storm. Although Tekno and Runtown were new kids on the block when they released their respective hits, they instantly became stars and have gone on to produce more singles with recorded success. The following songs are the drivers of this new wave of sound.

‘Pana’ – Tekno

One year after its release in 2016, ‘Pana’ still enjoys a lot of air play in nightclubs. It currently has over 48 million views on YouTube.

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‘Mad Over You’ – Runtown

Produced in 2016 by Runtown, Del B and TSpize, ‘Mad Over You’ has over 47 million views on YouTube. It still enjoys a lot of air time on the radio and at clubs.

‘If’ – Davido

One of Nigeria’s most popular exports, who recently signed with Sony Music, Davido is considered a hit-maker in the local music scene and has several awards to his name.

‘Fall’ – Davido

Following on the heels of ‘If’ was the release of a second single, ‘Fall’, which follows the Pon Pon style. The video already has over 20 million YouTube views.

‘For Life’ – Runtown

With over eight million views, ‘For Life’ by Runtown is a more mellow track and focuses more on lyrics rather than on beats.

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