Apple Music Names Burna Boy As Most Biggest Nigerian Artist of All Time

Grammy-winning singer Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has been named the biggest Nigerian artist of all time on Apple Music. This accolade was announced as part of Apple Music's 'Oshe Naija' campaign, which aims to highlight "Nigerian music's rich history."

The announcement coincided with Nigeria's 64th Independence Day anniversary, adding a layer of national pride to the celebration.

Burna Boy's latest album, "I Told Them...," released on August 25, 2023, has broken multiple records. It set a new benchmark for first-week streams by an African album on Apple Music and topped the platform’s albums chart in 69 countries simultaneously, a record for the Afrobeats genre.

This success follows his historic performance in June 2023, where he became the first-ever African artist to headline a UK stadium, performing in front of 60,000 fans.

Apple Music's list of most-streamed Nigerian artists of all time also includes other heavyweights like Wizkid, who holds the record for the most-streamed African song of all time with "Essence" (feat. Tems), and Davido, whose 2022 album "Timeless" has seen massive success. Rema, another superstar, is noted for his hit "Calm Down," which has become one of the biggest songs of the summer on Apple Music worldwide.

Ed Howard, Co-President of Atlantic Records UK, commented on Burna Boy's success, stating, "Burna is one of the most exciting artists globally, a pioneer for modern African music." Austin Daboh, EVP of Atlantic Records UK and President of Black Music, added, "Burna’s triumph symbolizes the global rise of Afrobeats/Afro Fusion music."