The Albums Nigerians Are Already Debating and Waiting for in 2026

There’s a particular kind of feeling Nigerian music gives you when something big is coming. Every social media post by the artist is thoroughly searched for clues of release date and album titles. The atmosphere will be thick with expectations as fans count down the clock to the release of new materials that carry more than just new songs.

They carry answers to ceaseless questions and comfort for aching hearts. These highly anticipated albums signal artistic evolution, the start of new chapters, the turning of eras, the consolidation of status, and the declaration of ambition. 

With Nigerian music making commercial and creative strides annually, there’s an expectation for 2026 to follow in the same direction. It’s on this expectant note that we have listed some of the most eagerly awaited albums this year.

Ayra Starr doesn’t want to hear any questions about her third album. So far, few questions have been asked, yet she feels the weight of expectations, which she tries to brush off casually by refusing to answer questions about the project. But we bet she knows what she’s doing. Although we won’t go as far as accusing the 'Celestial Being' of rage baiting, her dismissal appears more like attention craving. And attention, she will get in surplus because the fans are looking forward to that album.

After her bold debut ‘19 and Dangerous’ released in 2021 and the incredible sophomore ‘The Year I Turned 21’ released two years later, she has become an international superstar with billions of streams, Headies Awards, a BET, a historic MOBO win, and a Grammy nomination. Her third album will be a symbol of her status as a star with international reach, wide access, top world-class management, and global ambition. 

So sure, Ayra, we all don’t care about the album.

Asake’s next album is titled M$ney, and what is left is a release date from the hitmaker who doesn’t believe in slowing down. 

Since impacting Nigerian music in January 2022, Asake has embarked on an era-defining run that has shaped the soundscape, dominated the charts, and set streaming records. After releasing three albums in three years, the two-time Grammy nominee is poised to make it four in four with a new project that’s shaping up to be a reintroduction.

Following the release of his third album, ‘Lungu Boy,’ Asake has undergone a physical and aesthetic transformation that’s beginning to appear in his sound. After delivering Afrobeats first ever Redbull Symohony headline performance in 2025, the star from Lagos Island has his eyes on the global stage, and ‘M$ney’ might be his loudest statement yet. 

Let’s face it, we have all come to take anything Wizkid says about new music with a pinch of salt. Yet even precedent couldn’t rob everyone of the excitement that followed his announcement of a joint project with Asake. 

While the project failed to drop in December 2025 as promised, its delay only fanned anticipation. On ‘Real’, at least that’s what Wizkid calls it, the great Starboy brings legacy, class, and global stardom, which Asake complements with electrifying talent, range, and ambition. If the project does drop in 2026, it won’t be just another EP. It could be the start of a partnership that impacts Afrobeats and the career of two of the movement's biggest stars. 

Omah Lay moves differently. Always has. After his acclaimed 2022 debut LP, ‘Boy Alone,’ he didn’t rush back. He allowed the project to make its mark, accumulate a billion streams, and solidify his status as a musician whose melodies soothe emotions. 

Yet many will argue that his sophomore is long overdue. In a 2024 interview, the award-winning star revealed that he had to scrap his entire sophomore project after his idea was stolen by a colleague he trusted. 

Some fans will be hoping that time has given him the space needed to heal from his hurt, while others might be salivating at the prospect of an Omah Lay project inspired by pain. At any rate, ‘Clarity of Mind’ has a lot riding on it, especially after he promised it would be the definitive proof that he’s the greatest of his generation. 

Burna Boy is a winner.  Grammys, sold-out tours, global respect: all of these have become normal for him. That’s why the mixed reception that followed his eighth album, ‘No Sign of Weakness,’  feels like a glitch in his matrix. He might have gone on record breaking tour and also secured a routine Grammy nomination, yet the commercial performance is shy of the standards of his last 4 projects. 

2026 might be a big year for Port Harcourt-born global star, who seems to have found the adversity in which he thrives. His commercially shy last project and the public backlash that followed his infamous Denver concert can inspire him to deliver a 9th project where he truly has something to prove. 

Tems doesn’t rush. She never has. After the success of her debut Born in the Wild, it took 30 months before she released new material in the form of the surprise EP ‘Love Is a Kingdom’. 

Even for an artist where moments of silence feel calculated, a sophomore album in 2026 seemslike a natural progression. Bigger stage. Bigger expectations. Still the same honesty. Tems has become a bridge between worlds: African music, R&B, and neo-soul, without losing herself in any of them.  Tems' authenticity draws praise, and when her next album arrives, it could be her biggest yet.

Three years of teasing. Countless hints. One title: THE WOLF.

MI Abaga has called this project his magnum opus,  a bold statement that sets up the project against iconic materials in his catalogue, yet how will listeners judge his claim if he refuses to release the album? After three years of waiting, 2026 seems like the right year for Mr Incredible to honour his promise and deliver ‘The Wolf’. Just drop the album, Jude. We have waited enough. 

There’s something fragile about a debut album. You only get one first full statement. It’s perhaps why it’s considered the hardest project to make because everything from the early dreams, the period of relative obscurity, and the rise to stardom all add up to shape a debut.

Mavo is an Afrobeats-shining new star, and the weight of delivering a bold debut rests squarely on his shoulders. After a breathtaking 2025 where he delivered a successful EP and appeared on tracks alongside Wizkid, Davido, CKay, Pocolee, and other stars, 2026 will be a consolidation year for Mavo. 

Gone are the days when breakout stars delay debut albums. Asake, Seyi Vibez, Odumodublvck, Shallipopi, and, more recently, Fola have all shown that debut albums should ride the wave of momentum. Mavo would want to do the same. 

Two truths: Success is exciting. Repeating it is terrifying. Fola’s Catharsis didn’t just perform well; it connected. It lived at the top of charts, racked up streams, and, more importantly, made people feel something. That kind of debut doesn’t come quietly, and it doesn’t leave gently either. Now the question hangs heavy: what comes after Catharsis? 

Like Asake's run, will Fola aim for back-to-back wins? A 2026 album could scale higher. It is no secret that his melodies master emotions. But fans want evolution without losing vulnerability: bigger sound, deeper emotion, sharper intent. If Fola pulls off a second win, it will be a testament to his talent and a marker of his positioning as Afrobeats new superstar. 

Some artists disappear between projects. Seyi Vibez does the opposite. His relationship with music feels instinctive. Nine projects in four years? It’s almost like he drops songs the way others breathe. 2025 saw him dominate Apple Replay, proving that volume doesn’t have to mean dilution. A new project in 2026 may feel inevitable. Seyi isn’t chasing trends or pauses; he’s documenting life in real time. And as long as life keeps happening, his music will keep coming.

2025 was the year The Uzamas announced their entrance into Nigerian music with Famous Pluto joining his brothers Shallipopi and ZerryDL. Perhaps 2026 might also come bearing gifts in the form of a joint project from The Migwos, whose presence in Nigerian music highlights Shallipopi’s pioneering influence and the growing popularity of Afrobeats sounds shaped by Benin cultural and identity. Perhaps an EP to wet listeners' appetite and announce that there’s truly only one Uzama.