Asake, wey dem also call Mr Money, don announce say im fourth studio album, M$NEY, go drop on 1st May 2026. The announcement don make plenty fans dey shake for excitement, and di waiting dey sweet but hard.
M$NEY go follow di successes of Lungu Boy, Work of Art, and Mr Money With The Vibe. Those three albums break streaming records, sell out arenas, and make Asake stand as one of di most consistent artists from Africa. The man neva release bad project, and anticipation for this one dey high well well.
Asake spend plenty time for America, so much so dat some fans begin wonder if im don forget home. But im historic Red Bull Symphony Orchestra performance for New York and di choice of French popstar Tiakola and global hitmaker DJ Snake for pre-release singles show say di artist dey search for di next frontier.
Im also release joint EP with Grammy winner Wizkid. Dat era-defining run for di past four years combine to create moment where Asake dey at im most famous, successful, and ambitious. With dis panache, im step into wetin dey shape up to be im most chest-thumping album yet.
From di moments wey lead up to di album and di project title itself, here be five tins fans fit expect from Asake’s M$NEY.
Asake sabi toot im horn. For im sophomore album, im call himself di landlord, embrace street-given moniker inspired by im chart dominance. For di upcoming album, Asake fit flaunt di lifestyle wey im wealth don afford am and restate im status as di most commercially impactful artist for Afrobeats. For di weeks wey precede di project, Asake splurge billions on multiple luxury cars, wey capture di flamboyance and flashiness wey inspire di album title. M$NEY go be di most boastful and confident version of Asake yet.
For Asake, hit records be given. Im spend di last four years crafting era-defining records wey shape di soundscape and earn am personal place for di upper echelons of di charts. For di upcoming album, listeners fit expect Asake to roll out party-starters and captivating tunes wey go become hits for social media and di street.
For im third album, Lungu Boy, Asake show ambition by featuring global stars like UK hip-hop stars Stormzy and Central Cee, Brazilian star Ludmila, American chart-topping rapper Travis Scott, and Afrobeats superhero Wizkid. Im upcoming album already feature French star Tiakola and global hitmaker DJ Snake, and listeners fit expect international guest appearances wey go capture im access and reach.
All three of Asake’s pre-release singles explore different sounds. Badman Ganster featuring Tiakola be swingy record wey straddle hip-hop and pop music. Why Love embrace familiar Amapiano elements and House music touch. Di more recent Worship featuring DJ Snake bring im smooth Fuji tinged melodies to dance music territory. M$NEY fit get different genres wey convey Asake’s desire to take im music to global audience.
One of Asake’s major impacts on Nigerian pop music be how im partnership with ace producer Magicsticks popularise di use of Amapiano log drums and give di soundscape a format wey help craft new stars and score hits. With Three-step Afro-House emerging as di next big sound for South Africa, from where Amapiano be borrowed, di sound dey find im way to Nigeria. Asake dey positioned to add di Nigerian sonic identities wey go help define Three-step Afro-House and give Afrobeats a blueprint to craft hits from di sound.
Asake don give us enough material to keep di countdown going with proper groove. While we dey wait, here be five Asake songs to keep on rotation until 1st May arrives. If there be one song wey announce to di world say Asake no dey play games, na Sangoma. Originally appear on im debut EP Ololade Asake, di remix featuring Burna Boy reach number seven on di US Afrobeats Songs chart. Produced by im long-time creative partner Magicsticks, di song combine hypnotic log drums drawn from amapiano, Asake’s fuji-drenched hip-hop flow, and chanted backing vocals wey burrow into your brain and refuse to leave. Within a month of di original dropping, Burna Boy hop on a remix, and di rest be history. Play dis one and watch a room come alive instantly.
From im record-breaking debut album Mr Money With The Vibe, Peace Be Unto You, known widely as PBUY, be di song wey show di full range of wetin Asake fit do with melody. Di track layer Islamic-inspired chants over high-octane production, making am one of di most distinctive songs of im breakout era. E prove say Asake no be one-trick performer, say im fit take sounds from deeply personal and cultural places and turn dem into something wey connect with millions of people across di world. E sound just as good today as di first time you hear am.
From im second studio album Work of Art, Lonely at the Top become im most-streamed song, peak at number four on di UK Afrobeats Singles Chart and spend 13 weeks on di chart. Where many of im songs dey built for movement and celebration, dis one sit with you differently. E be introspective and aching, a meditation on di cost of ambition and di isolation wey fit come with success, themes wey clearly resonate with plenty people. Crowds at im concerts sing along to am with dia hands for air, wey tell you everything about how deeply e land.
Also from Work of Art, Basquiat be one of those Asake songs wey reward close listening. Named after di legendary American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, di track be confident, swaggering declaration of artistic self-belief — Asake drawing a line between himself and one of di most celebrated creative minds of di 20th century, and doing so without hint of apology. E peak at number five on di UK Afrobeats Singles Chart and spend 13 weeks on di chart. E be record wey sound expensive, and e should — e be made by an artist wey know exactly wetin im worth.
From Lungu Boy, im third studio album, Remember become di most-streamed song for Nigeria on Spotify — a fact wey still feel almost impossible to process when you consider di competition. E be love song, warm and open, built around a melody so straightforward and so well-executed wey e feel inevitable. E make converts out of people wey neva pay close attention to im earlier work, and e prove say after three albums and countless hit singles, Asake still get entirely new territory to explore.
May cannot come fast enough. Make sure M$NEY be di first thing you press play on when e drop.
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