Nigeria’s music has evolved over the years, enabling the world to watch and observe with keen interest. Every week, new songs are released, and different sounds from clubs, bars, and small studios spread across the world. Behind these wonderful hits, there are the five music critics who help to open our minds and make us understand what the music really means. They listen carefully, ask questions, and tell stories about the music and the artistes.

Their job goes beyond judging a song’s quality. They show how music connects to all parts of our lives and how beats and lyrics carry memories, hopes, and struggles. Without them, many talents and moments would vanish amid the flood of new releases.

These critics come from different backgrounds,students, bloggers, and professionals with nine-to-five jobs. What unites them is their passion for sound and dynamic writing that reaches readers everywhere. Their analyses guide fans and help the world understand Nigeria’s music with openness and clarity.

Emmanuel Daraloye
Emmanuel Daraloye is a prominent Nigerian music critic and journalist dedicated to exploring music dynamics. He writes not only about Nigerian music but also reviews music from other countries. His reputable reviews have appeared in national newspapers, magazines, including ‎The Guardian (Nigeria), Modern Ghana, Sahara Reporters, This Day (Nigeria), TheCable, Nigerian Tribune, Leadership Newspaper, Business Day Nigeria, Notjustok, The Lagos Review , Vanguard Newspaper and others.

For over five years, Emmanuel has been active in the music journalism scene and became a senior critic at Afrocritik in 2022. This reveals his strong dedication to the art of music writing. His prominent works include Asake’s Work of Art: A Convergence Of Stagnation and Monotony, a critical review of Asake’s sophomore album on his Afro Review Newsletter. He also reviewed Davido’s album ‘5ive’, where he discussed the complacency present in the album. Emmanuel does not only restrict himself to Nigerian or African music, but he expands his horizons to international music, which is evident in his review of the UK rapper Dave’s sophomore album We’re Alone in This Together’, which he described as a project that makes the artist an inch closer to the honor of being a prodigy artist. He has interviewed artistes like Beautiful Nubia, Pheelz, Ajebutter 22 and a lot more.

Emmanuel Daraloye’s intelligence in music review can’t be doubted from the way he attentively analyzes each song without missing a detail. He is arguably Africa’s most prolific music critic with over one thousand album reviews in his archive. The 2023 graduate of English Language Education from Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo is currently pursuing a post graduate program at Lead City University, Ibadan.

Abioye Damilare
Abioye Damilore is a Nigerian creative writer and music journalist whose dedication to the art of music writing is superb. He has been telling stories about the African entertainment industry and pop culture. Abioye not only writes music reviews but also blogs about entertainment news. He has written for several famous media and blog houses, including The Republic, where he discussed the way Fireboy’s debut album Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps captured the heart of a generation and became a cultural touchstone in Afropop. He had also reviewed for Culture Custodian, where he analyzed Adekunle Gold’s debut and limelight song Sade, as a work of a student of the music game who is deeply attuned to the heart of Nigerian music.

Apart from being a music journalist, Abioye Damilare is a poet and culture writer, and this is obvious in his creative approach to his music review. He is one of the fantastic music critics Nigeria has ever produced.

Patrick Ezema
Patrick Ezema is another committed Nigerian music critic who writes profiles and reviews. He works as a staff writer at The Culture Custodian, where he wrote about the ‘5ive’ album as Davido’s happiest album yet. He had also written about the changing face of Nigeria’s rap scene. He has also appeared on The Republic. NATIVE Mag, The Guardian, and more.

Patrick’s manner of music journalism expands toward in-depth details, which is what is expected of every good music critic. Apart from his enthusiasm towards music, Patrick also writes or has special interest in profiling and feature articles on music and musicians.

Michael Kolawole
Michael Kolawole is a cultural journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio presenter, poet, and music critic. Some of his notable works are his reviews on Brymo’s ‘9’ album, and his review on Cobhams Asuquo’s ‘One Hit’ song published on Music in Africa, which he described as one that blends humour with prayer. Michael is also widely known for his several publications on movie reviews. He also writes and blogs for African Business.

Michael Kolawole is an all-rounder in the world of entertainment; he can be a music critic, also a movie critic, a journalist, among others. This shows how diverse he is in his creative sojourn, which is evident in the manner he approaches his critical review of a song or music project.

Bomi Anifowose
Bomi Anifowose is a Nigerian music journalist who writes for African Folder, Digimillenials, The Upper Entertainment, among others. One of his prominent music reviews that was published on Digimillenials was his review of the joint album ‘Ethos’ by A-Q and Brymo, which he claimed both creatives often use their platforms to share their worries and ideas about social, cultural, and political issues.

Bomi has published over 100 articles, including profiles, music reviews, listicles, bios, and press releases. His reviews are easy to follow and explore the feelings behind the songs. He is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s finest music critics whose work can never be undermined but appreciated.

These critics have given Nigerian music the thoughtful attention it deserves. They follow different paths, student journalism, independent blogging, but they share a love for sound and story. Their impact on the documentation of music in Nigeria and Africa in general can’t be undermined, especially the insight they bring. By writing with care and passion, they help audiences in Nigeria and around the world understand the heartbeat of African music today.