EDITORIAL
20 Nigerian Heartbreak Songs Of All Time
Brought to you by Novice2STAR, here are 20 Nigerian songs that can help you get through heartbreak.
Everyone experiences heartbreak at some point in their life, and even though everybody has their own ways of coping with heartbreak, music is one of the best therapies to motivate yourself to keep going. Luckily for Nigerian music fans, there are a number of heartbreak songs to keep you standing tall after getting hurt. Below are 20 of them!
1. PSquare – ‘Omoge Mi’
PSquare’s ‘Omoge Mi’, off their 2005 classic album ‘Get Squared’, was a popular breakup anthem in the late 2000s. On ‘Omoge Mi’, PSquare sings about how their lover was having an affair with their best friend.
2. Darey – ‘Not The Girl’
In 2008 Darey released one of the greatest heartbreak songs ever. ‘Not The Girl’ was such a smash hit song in the late 2000s. Notable line from the song is: You’re not the girl I used to know, you’re a shadow of yourself, I suppose I lost you a long time ago.
3. Asa – ‘Bibanke’
‘Bibanke’ came off Asa’s 2007 self-titled album. On the song Asa vividly expresses the pain that comes with losing a partner who has been everything to one. ‘Bibanke’ is a classic heartbreak song of all time!
4. Klever Jay (Ft. Danny Young) – ‘Koni Koni Love’
‘Koni Koni Love’ is an old gem. The record enjoyed massive airwaves in the 2000s. Although the lyrics potray it was a song about heartbreak, the sweet melody made Nigerians dance to Klever Jay’s pain.
5. Omah Lay – ‘Bad Influence’
This song brought Omah Lay to limelight. Released in 2020, ‘Bad Influence’ is about a painful breakup. His relatable lyrics describe an unhappy man who has been wronged and relying on alcohol and cigarettes to get over heartbreak.
6. Ric Hassani – ‘Thunder Fire You’
‘Thunder Fire You’ is a song by Ric Hassani, released in 2019. On it Ric Hassani was so sad and lonely that he cursed his lover for shattering his heart. This song makes it understandable that not all breakups are handled the same way.
7. Chike – ‘Out Of Love’
Chike’s ‘Out Of Love’ from his ‘Boo of the Booless’ album centers around a failing relationship. Chike’s vocals bring comfort in this revelatory record that serves as a walkthrough guide to dealing with breakups.
8. Simi – ‘Gone For Good’
‘Gone for Good’ by Simi was released in 2018. With the song, Simi tries to capture all the facets of her ill relationship which she has now decided to move on from. The best way to handle a similar situation is to end things and embrace a new life.
9. Kizz Daniel – ‘Fvck You’
‘Fvck You’ was a mega hit! Kizz Daniel sings about an unfaithful partner whose hobby is prostitution and how he is going to commit a crime if he is not stopped by the authority. Kizz Daniel didn’t hide his trajectory and vulnerability on this song.
10. Burna Boy – ‘Last Last’
Burna Boy’s ‘Last Last’ was inspired by his ex-girlfriend Stefflon Don, a popular British rapper. On it, Burna Boy sings about their relationship and how he has been coping since they broke up.
11. Tems – ‘Damages’
‘Damages’ shot Tems to fame in Nigeria! The song centers around a toxic relationship. This song can be a form of therapy for a broken person who has just walked out of their relationship.
12. Omah Lay – ‘Understand’
Leave it to Omah Lay to give you a proper heartbreak anthem. ‘Understand’ is a perfect remedy for heartache. Omah Lay can’t ‘understand’ why his ex cheated on him with his best friend. He sings about the agony of being betrayed by his lover.
13. Rema – ‘Why’
Rema, in more than two interviews, claimed he wrote ‘Why’ after he had his heart shattered by a girl he loved so much, all because he was then a poor young guy on the streets. In this Trap record, Rema didn’t hold back in detailing his sad experience with the girl.
14. Mr Eazi (Ft. Burna Boy) – ‘Miss You Bad’
‘Miss You Bad’ by Mr Eazi is a song about the feeling that comes following a separation, and the desperate urge to go back to an ex. Burna Boy as a feature on the song made it a lot better.
15. Fireboy DML – ‘Go Away’
Sometimes, you just have to let all of that grief out in order to move on. This is what Fireboy DML tries to do on ‘Go Away’, off his sophomore album ‘Apollo’ released in 2020.
16. Ayra Starr (Ft. CKay) – ‘Beggie Beggie’
Mavin’s princess, Ayra Starr teamed up with Nigerian-international sensation CKay on ‘Beggie Beggie’. Ayra sings, ‘We were only lovers. Before the love came in. Now you be soldier, Général no send me. Now I’m alone. Now wey you no send me’.
17. Joeboy (Ft. Mayorkun) – ‘Don’t Call Me Back’
‘Don’t Call Me Back’ sees Joeboy calling out a relationship that went sour. This is another song to cheer you up after your relationship is over. Joeboy was assisted on this single by Mayorkun.
18. Chike – ‘Insecure’
Getting over a past love is one of the hardest things to do, Chike knows exactly how to portray it. On this song he called ‘Insecure’, he depicts how a person feels when working on their feelings.
19. Davido – ‘E Pain Me’
Off his record-breaking album ‘Timeless’, ‘E Pain Me’ sees Davido describing a failed relationship. On it he sings his heart out to girl, ‘She come my life come carry my heart run over, E pain me oh, E pain me oh. Wetin I no do for you, Wetin I no do for you, Shey you promise say you no go let me go’.
20. Rema – ‘Fame’
‘Fame’ is a breakup song by Rema. It sounds like a continuation of ‘Why’. Here Rema is no more a poor nerd that a girl turned down, but a global popstar turning the same girl down with lines like, ‘Shit I think I changed, things don’t feel the same I don’t wanna play no games, since I got this fame it’s been so hard to love again, girl your love is in vain, now you feel the shame, girl you told me no, because I wasn’t getting paid’.
What are your favorites among these 20 Nigerian heartbreak songs of all time?
Comment below!
