Every year, YouTube provides a unique window into the heart of culture, reflecting the moments that made us dance, laugh, and think.
In Nigeria, 2025 was a year defined by explosive musical talent, captivating storytellers who solidified Nollywood’s place as a global powerhouse.
However, the songs that moved Nigeria this year were dominated by a powerful mix of gospel, Afrobeats, and breakout stars. From the spiritual depth of “NO TURNING BACK II” to the infectious energy of Shallipopi’s “Laho” and Davido’s “With You,” these were the songs and visuals that became the soundtrack of 2025 for Nigerians.
Top 10 YouTube Music Videos in Nigeria in 2025
The popular gospel music track “No Turning Back II” by Gaise Baba & Lawrence Oyor tops the list as the No. 1 Nigerian music video on YouTube with over 41.7 million views. The music was released on May 16th, 2025, by Akinade Ibuoye, popularly known as Gaise Baba, an award-winning Afro-fusion gospel artist.
This was a remix of his original release in August 2024, which garnered over 3.9 million views. In 2025, he featured Lawrence Oyor, a renowned gospel music artist, for the second version.
The song mixes Afrobeats rhythms with deep spiritual messages, including Yoruba proverbs and a call to expand faith into broader societal change.
The artist behind the second hit is Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi. He is a prominent Nigerian singer and rapper known for his street-pop sound and Edo/Benin City influences.
The song “Laho” was released on March 6th, 2025, which followed shortly after the track’s March 13th release. It is a signature street anthem that celebrates the artist’s rising fame, wealth, and hometown.
The song features a distinctive lo-fi, bass-heavy Afrobeats rhythm and is filled with Nigerian Pidgin and Edo language slang. It was one of the year’s biggest hits, with the video amassing over 68 million views.
The third on the list is a romantic Afrobeats track, “With You (Official Video)” by David Adeleke (Davido). He is one of the biggest and most consistent Afrobeats superstars globally.
The song features fellow popular Nigerian singer Omah Lay, and it is a classic love ballad from Davido’s album 5ive. The official music video, released on June 16th, 2025, was highly anticipated and received over 44 million views.
The official video for this track was released on June 10, 2025. It is a showcase of Nigerian music star power. The word “99” is a feel-good, high-energy collaboration urging listeners to embrace joy and forget their worries; it is a nostalgic and uplifting party anthem.
The primary owner is the legendary rapper and label boss Olamide, with a huge collaboration of three other major artists: Seyi Vibez, Asake, and Young John, along with Daecolm.
The combination of Olamide’s influence and the star power of the three young hitmakers ensured the video’s success, which reached over 10 million views.
The official video for this track, “Why Love” by Asake, was one of the earliest major releases of the year, dropping on February 11, 2025. The song continues the artist’s signature sound with a fusion of Amapiano, Fuji, and Afrobeats.
The official video earned over 12 million views, a great milestone for the superstar known for his distinctive vocal style and consistent chart domination.
“Baby (Is It A Crime)” was released on May 7th, 2025. It is a smooth and seductive track that famously samples the 1985 classic “Is It a Crime?” by Sade Adu. The song is a passionate confession of love and desire, asking if it is wrong to feel such strong emotions for someone.
The song’s owner is Divine Ikubor, also known as Rema, a renowned Afrobeats artist famous for his unique blend of Afrobeats, trap, and R&B. The official video was a major hit, securing over 27 million views.
The official visualiser of this track was released on March 31st, 2025. It was sung by Chella, a rising star whose song unexpectedly became one of the top videos of the year.
“My Darling” is an emotional love song with a sweet melody that blends multiple Nigerian languages, including Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin.
However, beneath the melody, the lyrics explore a tense narrative about suspicion, jealousy, and the use of traditional love charms (like “kayan mata”). The official visualiser video hit 91 million views.
“Kese (Dance)” is a dance-focused Afrobeats music video that encourages movement and celebration. The video provided a refreshing visual take that resonated with dance lovers and secured over 500,000 views.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, who is also known as Wizkid, is an internationally celebrated pioneer of the Afrobeats genre who owns the song. The official video was released on March 6th, 2025, and became known for its strong emphasis on high-quality choreography and creative visuals.
This track is the official video for the remix that was released on April 25th, 2025. It is co-owned by the original artist, Shallipopi, and the global music icon Burna Boy (Damini Ogulu), whose feature cemented the track’s status as a major international hit.
The remix keeps the original’s celebration of success and street attitude but adds an internationally famous voice to the track. The video was a viral sensation, hitting over 18 million views.
This is the visualiser version of the main song “With You by Davido,” and it was released on April 18th, 2025. A visualiser is a simpler video, often just showing album art with moving graphics, released before or alongside the full official video.
However, the massive popularity of the song shows that this visualiser version garnered significant attention, earning over 15 million views. The track’s ownership is the same as the official video: Davido (the main artist) and Omah Lay (the featured artist).