Four Exceptional Months of Abefe's Music, With More to Come
Five months ago, Abefe was largely known to a growing online community that consistently admired his freestyles. Today, he is one of Nigeria's fastest-rising new artistes, with more than 20 million Spotify streams, four releases that have entered Spotify Nigeria's Top 50, and increasing recognition across both streaming platforms and the TurnTable Charts.
For many listeners, their first introduction to Abefe (Agboola Emmanuel Itunu) came in February when his contribution to Amma's viral “i love you” open verse challenge spread across TikTok. The performance showcased his distinctive voice to a wider audience and quickly earned him a new fanbase, affectionately known as the Abefeholics. Abefe’s story is no longer another viral social media moment, instead, it has since evolved into one of Nigerian music's most compelling breakout stories of 2026.
Abefe officially began his recording career in March with the release of “Romeo and Juliet.” The record was his first entry on the Official Nigeria Top 100 chart with over 4 million on-demand streams amassed since release. Also debuting and peaking at No. 62 and spending four weeks on the chart. He followed up in April with “Yori Yori,” the song that further placed him as an artiste to watch out for. The single matched the chart run of his debut on the Official Nigeria Top 100 chart, peaking at No. 70 with 3.3 million on-demand streams accumulated since then. On Spotify Nigeria, it peaked as high as No. 2, becoming his biggest streaming success to date and one of four Abefe releases to reach Spotify Nigeria's Top 50 this year.
His drive also reflected through collaborations. In mid-May, he was featured on Shiloh Yodelle’s “Stars Misaligned II,” alongside oSHAMO which debuted at No. 85, peaked at No. 44 on the Official Nigeria Top 100 chart, and spent six weeks on the chart with a total of 5.3 million on-demand streams till date. Later that month, he joined Young Legend and Joeboy on “Let Me Go,” which debuted and peaked at No. 95 in its release week.
The consistency of these releases has also resulted in a broader recognition. Abefe has peaked at No. 35 on TurnTable’s Official Artiste Top 100 chart and has spent eight weeks there. Beyond the charts, endorsements from established stars including BNXN and Joeboy have affirmed the confidence in Abefe’s potential.
With over 20 million Spotify streams in just four months, Abefe's rise has been driven not by a single viral hit but by a steady stream of releases. It is quite an impressive foundation for an artiste who only officially released his first single in March.
Now, the next chapter begins for Abefe as he launched the pre-order for his debut EP alongside its lead single, “Achalugo” on July 2. The six-track project, ‘Abefe (Begged To Be Loved),’ arrives on July 9 .
If the first half of 2026 is anything to go by, Abefe's music career is only just beginning. The upcoming debut EP, ‘Abefe (Begged To Be Loved),’ is definitely an opportunity to set the foundation of something much bigger.
