TikTok has changed how African songs travel. A snippet, a dance or a challenge can take a track from a Lagos studio to millions of phones in a week. These ten songs all owe a big part of their success to the app, and each one got there in its own way.
1. Water by Tyla (2023)
Tyla shared a snippet of “Water” on TikTok in July 2023, along with the dance challenge that went with it. The dance spread fast, and the song followed. It peaked at number 11 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, then climbed to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
It went on to win the first ever Grammy for Best African Music Performance.
2. Love Nwantiti by CKay (2019)
“Love Nwantiti” was already two years old when TikTok discovered it in 2021. The app turned it into a global hit, with number ones in India, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland and number two on the Billboard Global 200. Local remixes followed around the world, including a North African version with ElGrandeToto.
3. Sad Girlz Luv Money by Amaarae and Moliy (2020)
This song from Amaarae’s debut album, The Angel You Don’t Know, found a second life after a remix with Kali Uchis arrived in September 2021. The remix went viral on TikTok and carried the Ghanaian-American singer onto the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number 80.
4. Finesse by Pheelz featuring BNXN (2022)
Pheelz uploaded “Finesse” to TikTok in February 2022, before its official release. The #FolakeChallenge took off across Europe and America, and by its debut week the song was already known far beyond Nigeria.
5. Tshwala Bam by TitoM and Yuppe featuring S.N.E and EeQue (2024)
Snippets of “Tshwala Bam” had been on TikTok since December 2023 without much attention. Then an unknown user paired the song with a video of the Ama Quality Boys dance group, and it exploded. It passed 100 million streams in under a month after its release.
6. Rush by Ayra Starr (2022)
“Rush” went viral on TikTok soon after its release in September 2022, and that pushed it to number 24 on the UK Singles Chart and into the top ten in France and South Africa. It also earned Ayra Starr a Grammy nomination.
7. Sip (Alcohol) by Joeboy (2021)
“Sip (Alcohol)” inspired a wave of TikTok challenges. It started with people drinking food-based drinks or alcohol, but some participants took it further and drank harmful substances. It is a good song and a reminder that not every challenge is worth joining.
8. Sugarcane (Remix) by Camidoh featuring Mayorkun, King Promise and Darkoo (2022)
Camidoh’s original “Sugarcane” came out in November 2021. The remix, with Mayorkun, King Promise and Darkoo, is the version that took off on TikTok and carried the Ghanaian singer well beyond home.
9. Soweto by Victony featuring Tempoe (2022)
“Soweto” gained traction on TikTok, and a remix with Rema and Don Toliver followed. That version charted in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Canada.
10. Zanku (Legwork) by Zlatan (2018)
Before TikTok dominated, Zlatan showed how a dance could make a song. He released “Zanku” at the end of 2018 with a dance routine of the same name, and the dance went viral. He named his 2019 debut album after it, and the title is an acronym for “Zlatan Abeg No Kill Us”.
Find these artists, with previews and streaming links, in the AfroYard artist directory.
