Pulse List: Top 10 Most Underrated Albums of 2025

Amidst the incessant releases and heavy marketing to compete for listeners' attention, some quality albums struggled to enjoy deserved attention. This is why, as part of Pulse Nigeria’s end-of-the-year round-up, our music desk has shortlisted the 10 most underrated albums of 2025.

These albums are selected on the following criteria.

1. Eligibility Period: December 1, 2024 - December 1, 2025

2. Album Quality -  Premium is given to the intrinsic quality of the project. The track composition, sequencing, production, and thematic and sonic coherence are considered.

3. Lack of Tangible Success - We determine this by weighing the project quality and the status of the artist.

Several projects met this criterion, but these are the top 10 most underrated projects of 2025.

‘This One Is Personal’ succinctly captures Tiwa Savage’s evolution and growth as an icon who has given to the game and is now catering to personal desires.

At 45, she’s saying it as it is. Her R&B melodies are sensual, her lyrics provocative, her thoughts honest and hopeful, and her exploration of Afrobeats sonically achieved.

Yet the album struggled to get listener attention as it lacked the flashy pop music and strong single that drives commercial acclaim.

20 years later, A-Q's name is written in gold in the annals of Nigerian hip hop as one of the genre's most steadfast disciples who stuck closely by its side even when others deserted the temple in search of gold.

While the quality of 'God's Engineering 3', which A-Q tags "The Beginning," isn't surprising, it's quite impressive that he managed to surpass the quality of the critically acclaimed first and second installments.

In a market where rap music plays second fiddle to pop, the album’s gross underappreciation captures the state of hip hop and the A-Q's relentless contributions and steadfast love for the game.

Perhaps the major reason why Victony’s stunning EP ‘Very Stubborn’ is how late he left it. Released in November amidst the hive of releases, the EP struggled to capture the mass attention its imposing quality deserves.

Released as a follow-up to his debut album ‘Stubborn,’ this EP packs 8 tracks that serve the definitive purpose of showcasing Victony’s robust artistry. A student of the game, he teams up with veterans like Don Jazzy, Olamide, and Terry G, while also offering a vulnerable and bold outlook on his career and state of mind.

There’s no other way to put it, we thoroughly slept on Bella Shmurda’s ‘Sanity’, which is one of the most in-depth albums of 2025.

Bella Shmurda has enjoyed success and endured the complexities of life at the top, experiences that have further shaped his artistry and personal life.

These experiences define his sixth album, ‘Sanity,’ where he embraces the full spectrum of sounds that have shaped his career and the lessons he has picked up along the way to create his most expansive project yet. On ‘Sanity,’ the singer, now a father and successful label boss, cheerfully celebrates his wins and higher status in the game, contemplates the struggles, mourns bitter losses, and shares a hope for a bright future through a combination of sounds that find a common identity in his dynamism.

At some point, listeners would have to catch up with Tim Lyre’s excellent music. An artist who has elected to walk a path that holds up his artistry without compromising, his debut LP ‘Spiral’ is an artistic statement from a musician who understands his journey, sound, and purpose. 

The album offers his exciting interpretation of Afrobeats through music that combines his indigenous influences with foreign musical elements.

He combines breezy R&B melody, Afrobeats fluid lyricism, Yoruba fuji and folk cadence, Dancehall, and hip hop flows to deliver a fusion of songs tied together with his warmth.

For years, the sheer level of Peruzzi’s talent and ability has been lost on listeners. Unsurprisingly, his album ‘Sabali’ suffers a similar fate despite holding an emphatic display of the spectrum of his artistry. 

Although it didn’t help that its release was frustratingly delayed, he made up for this by curating a fine body of work. United by fine writing and dynamic delivery, Peruzzi called on a list of supporting acts, which he carefully deployed on the right tracks to score good records and an overall wholesome experience.

 From Fuji music-infused ‘Apala Drill’ featuring Davido, the Igbo Folk music shaped genre bender ‘Die It,’ to his smooth rap flows on ‘Nuff Respect’ next to Jesse Jagz, Peruzzi’s ‘Sabali’ is one of the finest albums of 2025. 

Although Wizard Chan’s music doesn't cater to the mainstream, his debut LP, ‘Healers Chapel’, should have enjoyed more commercial success than it managed. A musician who portrays depth and message. This album offers genre-blending records that flew the cultural flag of Nigeria’s South-South region.

Wizard Chan makes music that will echo through time. Through his music, he aims to live forever like other iconic musicians whose impact continues to be felt decades after their demise. He shares this bold desire in the opener before backing it with breathtaking music across 13 tracks.

He puts his cultural heritage on the centre stage with an exploration of South-South indigenous folk music, Highlife, and Gyration, which he combines with reggae, hip-hop, and gospel music elements to craft an album that genre diversity united in his message of healing.

This album did well, but not nearly as much as it deserved. When one of Nigeria's and Ghana's finest voices, TML Vibez and Lasmid, combined for a collaboration project, the result is just as the title suggests.

Combining the defining elements of their artistry, both stars deliver an exciting collection of enjoyable songs that captures the uniqueness of both markets.

Balanced between R&B, Pop, and party-starting anthems, this album offers every listener something to hold on to. 

When GoodGirl LA announced her return on social media, fans were unsure what to expect from her, but all those who caught onto her sound early knew that whatever it may be, it would be good music. Yet listeners were slow to react to the EP at least as much as they should have when she released her comeback EP, which redefines what it means to be a good girl. 

The music is fierce, her vocals are powerful, her writing daring, and the emotions palpable.

The EP carries the pain and anger of a talented artist dismissed for her quirks, which she embraces and flaunts through songs that hold her readiness to fight her way to the top, where, like her fans, she believes she deserves to be.

Perhaps no project was deserving of more love than Easy Scope and Semzi’s collaborative effort. The album is a bold introduction into the mainstream for the talented Easyscope, who combines Fuji influences with Afrobeats dynamism to deliver a sound that captures the pulse of the street. 

For Easyscope, Fuji music is the essence, and Afrobeats is the vehicle. With stellar production from Semzi, Easyscope offers exciting originality and rich dynamism that delivers a contemporary take on Fuji music. 

At a time when the audience was demanding something fresh and dynamic, we missed the chance to embrace Easyscope’s ‘Easy On Dem’ that offered originality in a crowded space.