The Nigerian music industry has come a long way in interesting wins on the global stage. The gap between an artist's breakout and ability to sell out or grace iconic venues is shrinking. In fact, five Nigerian artists have sold out London’s O2 Arena—a huge accomplishment in itself. What I consider more interesting is that each new artist is doing it in less time than their predecessors.

• Wizkid, who broke out in 2010 with Holla At Your Boy, sold out The O2 in 2021. It took him 11 years, and he has sold out the venue five times since then.

• Davido, after breaking into the scene in 2011 with Dami Duro, sold out The O2 8 years later, in 2019. He’s now achieved this two times.

• Burna Boy, who had his breakout moment with Like To Party in 2013, took 8 years to sell out The O2 in 2021.

• Rema, who burst onto the scene with Dumebi in 2019, needed just 4 years to reach that milestone in 2023.

• Asake, whose meteoric rise began with Sungba in 2022, sold out The O2 in just one year—a staggering feat—and has already done it twice.

• Tiwa Savage, who had her breakout in 2011 with Kele Kele Love, took 8 years before gracing the Wireless stage in 2019.

• Ayra Starr, on the other hand, debuted in 2021 with Away and made it to the Wireless lineup just one year later (2022).

This rapid progression underscores the undeniable influence of the diaspora and how quickly Nigerian music is crossing borders. More than ever, it’s a powerful statement of how far we’ve come and how the culture is being exported with speed.

Guess who’s next??? 😅