Since the onset of the streaming era, Q3 has always been the busiest in terms of premiere releases and July 2025 seems to be priming up the stage for yet another memorable summer of music. With Afrobeats superstars making monumental returns and even some niche champions, throwing their hats in the ring—we’ve been spoilt for choices. In this article, we highlight the top 5 projects of the year.
1. It’s Not You, It’s Summer – Gabzy
It’s been three years since the R&B crooner released a project, but soul music faithfuls would be very much pleased with his return. On his new EP, Gabzy ventures further from the tenets of Afro-R&B he’s seemingly mastered already and flirts tentatively with house and Afro-Pop music.
It’s no brainer, why Fireboy DML makes an appearance on the pop-infused So Much Sense and Victony is present on the ambient heavy and spiritual, Special. The music, while good requires patience as it doesn’t hit you straight out of the gates but is good slow burn music that will ultimately grow on you.
2. No Skips, Just Feelings – Guchi
Guchi’s meteoric rise to fame might be pending, because she hasn’t invaded the mainstream space yet but anyone who has their ears on the ground is most likely tapped into her sound. Her 2022 debut EP, Purple Diary established her R&B sensitivities and on her sophomore effort, she doubles down and expands her sonic soundscape.
Butterfly has Guchi exploring familiar sonic territory, segueing her into more ambitious templates like Balance, tinged with swing drums and smooth pop lamba. Despite her foray into newer ventures, she doesn’t lose her voice which is the soul in her vocals and the emotions she wears on her sleeves.
3. Goodgirl – Goodgirl LA
Returning from a 2-year hiatus, Goodgirl hit the ground running with the defiance of an unapologetic popstar that has gone through a profound catharsis. “I no be good girl again,” she sings on the eponymously titled track, using the sentiment to affirm her state of rebellion and willingness to challenge the status quo.
When she isn’t shooting for the cosmos and declaring her prominence, she’s dabbling in licentious waters and celebrating her sensuality. Sometimes at the expense of her love interests in promiscuous situations and sometimes from a very earnest point of view. Either ways, the music always soars.
4. Money Over Love – Yiizi & TMZY
Two talented indigenous brothers combine to deliver a project that is rooted in Drill fusion and Afrobeats elements, from the percussion to the deliveries. Yiizi and TMZY sing about love escapades, fighting their demons and overcoming obstacles on their path to success.
Their synergy is so palpable and their respective voices elevate each other intermittently, that it feels like it’s just one dynamic artist on the EP for the bulk of its runtime. The topics are dissimilar, the beats never stray too far outside hip hop fusion and both artists are cut from the same cloth—so it’s all the recipe for a monotonous experience, but somehow they both make it work.
5. Captain – BNXN
On BNXN’s highly anticipated sophomore album, the popstar doesn’t reinvent the wheel and mostly sticks to his guns. It might not be the most ambitious path to take but even his detractors can’t deny the fact that he’s good at making the kind of music he mostly makes. The garage fusion, swing indented territory is one he’s made his home.
To his credit, there is effort at experimentation here especially with Hip-Hop fusion and this decision results in bright patches of melodic cuts like I Alone, where he interpolates flows of emo trap classics. And of course, It’s not a BNXN project if he doesn’t get introspective and narrates an inspirational tale of beating the odds, like he does on Cough Syrup—which is made even better by a Victony assist.
