Top Afro-Love songs – 2020s

Nigerian artist Tems returned in October 2023 with “Me & U,” after a two-year solo hiatus. Co-produced with GuiltyBeatz, the introspective track blends R&B and Afrobeat. Born from a freestyle during the “Essence” video shoot, its lyrics explore spiritual self-discovery and personal growth. The song won multiple accolades, including Best International Song at the NAACP Image Awards.

Genres : R&B, World/Traditional, Pop,afro r&b, alte, nigerian pop,

The music video is directed by Tems

>> Lyrics >> More by the same : Website

6.60% / 0.61%

“Songi Songi” thrives on a springy Afro-Pop pulse, where Salima Chica takes her spot and isn’t looking to move anytime soon.

Layered in Lingala, the lyrics offer a polite but firm “tika ngai na vanda na ngai,” which roughly translates to “mind your own business, I’m minding mine.”

DJ Babs Jordan keeps the beats crisp and the mood buoyant, skirting the edge between dancefloor filler and personal mantra.

There’s plenty of hands-in-the-air repetition, but it’s calculated: melodic, almost cheeky, and hard to forget.

The result feels more like a side-eye than a sermon—self-affirmation by way of rhythm and bounce.

Genres : kizomba, zouk

The music video is directed by Carlos Mafu

>> Lyrics

71.12% / -3.62%

“Aweh” pulls Lordkez’s quiet confidence into louder territory, trading in the original’s mellow tension for something looser and more assertive.

Cassper Nyovest turns up with a laid-back verse that slides between charm and bravado without needing to shout.

The production lets both voices breathe, all wrapped in South African textures that don’t try too hard to explain themselves.

Released in late August 2025, the remix adds just enough color to justify its own existence, without rewriting the source material.

Genres : afro r&b, neo soul, afro soul

The music video is directed by Fred Kayembe

>> Lyrics

129.60% / -8.64%

Blending Afropop and Brazilian pagode with a knowing wink at their linguistic kinship, “Leva Tudo” pairs São Tomé and Príncipe duo Calema with Brazilian singer Dilsinho for the first time.

Released under Universal Music Brazil, the single stages a quiet assertion of Lusophone intimacy through rhythm and melody.

Shot across varied Rio de Janeiro locations, the music video threads urban sensuality with coastal warmth, never overstating its intentions.

Genres : kizomba, zouk

The music video is directed by Phill Mendonça

>> More by the same : Website

27.28% / 0.77%

“Você” pairs 3 Finer with Ganan Boy on a track that sticks firmly to their usual terrain: electronic textures blended with urban leanings.

The Portuguese title—meaning “You”—drops a hint broad enough for any lyric about feelings, connection, or whoever’s stuck in the artist’s head that day.

Though details are sparse, expect rhythmic scaffolding and melodic bait, carving out space somewhere between a club’s backroom and a moody afterthought.

The overall tone? Probably a mix of pulse and pout, not too different from the collaborations that orbit this musical neighborhood.

Genres : kizomba, kuduro, zouk

The music video is directed by Sininada

101.57% / -3.69%

Tems‘ 2024 release “Love Me JeJe,” produced by GuiltyBeatz and Spax, interpolates the 1997 hit by Seyi Sodimu. The song’s Afrobeat-R&B fusion is laced with tender lyrics expressing a desire for unconditional love and loyalty. The phrase “JeJe” means “gently” in Yoruba, highlighting the song’s plea for a soft, enduring romance.

Genres : R&B, World/Traditional, Pop,afro r&b, afrobeats, alte, nigerian pop,

The music video is directed by Larisha Paul

Featured on the album Born in the Wild

>> Lyrics >> More by the same : Website

7.58% / 0.60%

Released in December 2024 via W Lab, Wagram Music, and Saizho, “Joggo” positions Limo at the crossroads of afrobeat, RnB, and pop.

Produced by J-breazy, the track finds Limo writing and performing his own material, adding to a catalog that includes “Tombé pour elle” and “Plus jamais.”

Born in Conakry and raised in France, Lassimo Mansaré has constructed a discography that spans the 2021 EP “Genesis” and the 2024 album “Diamant Brut.”

Genres : Latin, Hip Hop,zouk, kizomba, pop urbaine

The music video is directed by Le Mojo

26.74% / 1.03%

Jeady Jay’s “Ayéyé (Nous aussi)” arrives in February 2025 with a rhythm built for repetition and verses that flirt with earworm status.

The Franco-Congolese artist, born in Kinshasa in 2000, steers the track with a laid-back vocal delivery that sidesteps melodrama in favor of calculated charm.

It follows a string of singles from 2023 and 2024, including “Dilemme” and “YAPA DEUX,” and a feature on “Jolie” that confirms he’s rarely flying solo.

Genres : Latin,zouk, kizomba

The music video is directed by Julien AllZeWay

23.42% / 1.83%

Clocking in at 4 minutes and 11 seconds, “Ou Mechan” leans into the polished edges of contemporary Haitian pop, with just enough bite to cut through the sweetness.

Rutshelle Guillaume returns in 2025 with this track from her album “12 ERA,” sticking to the relationship drama that made her previous work tick.

The title means “You’re Mean,” which pretty much sums up the tone—less breakup anthem, more musical side-eye.

Soulful melodies meet sleek production, giving her expressive voice all the room it needs to square up.

The rhythms flirt with Haitian influences, but the focus stays on Guillaume’s vocal phrasing and that unmistakable air of tired patience.

Genres : kompa, zouk, kizomba

The music video is directed by Smitty

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CKay’s “Emiliana,” a standout track from his *Sad Romance* album under Warner Music South Africa, bears the production signature of Tempoe, CKay, and BMH, with Oboratare Abraham providing additional vocals.

Forgoing an official video, the song becomes the first Afrobeats entry to grace the Billboard Top 200 charts, debuting at number 190.

Its dominance extends to the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, where it reigns supreme for seven consecutive weeks, while landing at number 44 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 and ascending to number 9 on France’s SNEP chart.

The track also marks its presence internationally, peaking at number 21 on the Dutch Single Top 100 and at number 27 on Switzerland’s Schweizer Hitparade.

Certified Gold in Canada and the Netherlands, Silver in the UK, and Diamond in France, “Emiliana” explores CKay’s reflections on long-distance relationships and longing.

On December 4, 2021, CKay adds another layer to the song’s legacy through an evocative live performance on *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*.

Genres : R&B,afro r&b, afrobeats, nigerian pop,

The music video is directed by ahmed. mosh

>> Lyrics >> More by the same : Website

2.97% / 0.14%

Released in July 2025, “Slowly” finds Joé Dwèt Filé working in his comfort zone: smooth production, understated Afro-Caribbean touches, and a fondness for melodic hooks.

The lyrics strike a familiar chord, as he serenades a woman who clearly makes an impression—nothing earth-shattering, but enough to ask her to take her time, which she may or may not find romantic.

His voice leans tender without tipping into sappy, supported by soft harmonies and modern beats that carry just enough weight to keep things interesting.

If you’ve heard his previous work in French urban pop, this track does little to confuse the formula—sentimental, slow-burning, and precisely pitched for late-night playlists.

Genres : kompa, zouk, french r&b, pop urbaine, kizomba, shatta

The music video is directed by Philip G. Atwell

>> Lyrics >> More by the same : Website

68.59% / -3.32%

Released in May 2025 under Elengi Music in exclusive license with Sony Music Entertainment, “Ça M’a Laissé” adds another layer to Emma’a’s R&B catalogue.

Born in 2003 in Gabon as Emmanuella Issembe, she first gained traction with “Encré”—a track later remixed by Bob Sinclar—and followed up with her eponymous debut EP.

The single sits beside past collaborations with Joé Dwèt Filé, Ronisia, and John Scorp, threading emotional fallout through smooth Afrobeats textures.

Genres : Hip Hop, Pop, Latin, Traditional Music,zouk, pop urbaine

The music video is directed by Styvestratus Studio

Featured on the album Emma’a Part II (Deluxe)

18.43% / 1.01%

Produced by Hendrick Sam, Bensoul and Bien’s afropop track “Extra Pressure” delves into emotional intensity in relationships. Distributed by Africori, its infectious hook captures devotion’s highs and the sacrifices made for love, uniting Kenya’s musical talents.

Genres : R&B, World/Traditional, Pop,afro r&b, gengetone, kenyan pop, kenyan r&b

The music video is directed by Roadman Shot It

Featured on the album The Party & The After Party

>> Lyrics

6.95% / 0.59%

First she’s “a new girl on the scene,” her face plastered across magazines, and next thing she knows, Tems is neck-deep in the mess that fame drags along for the ride.

In “Burning,” she flips through the pages of sudden success, only to find herself dodging the emotional debris.

She’s torn between staying in the spotlight or slipping quietly out the back door, muttering questions no manager can answer.

Everyone, she notes, seems to be “burning” beneath the weight of what they’re supposed to be, which doesn’t help calm the panic.

So she walks away from the scripted games—yours, mine, theirs—and stakes a flag in simpler territory: “I believe in me.”

And just like that, the song lays down its terms—less self-pity, more self-preservation—with a soft shrug and a raised eyebrow.

Genres : R&B, World/Traditional, Pop,afro r&b, afrobeats, alte, nigerian pop,

The music video is directed by Tems

>> Lyrics >> More by the same : Website

12.18% / 1.03%

“Babete” runs on a teasing promise: just talk, nothing more.

Except that plan unravels the moment her smile enters the room—followed closely by the perfume, the stroke of a hug, the look he keeps pretending not to notice.

Now he’s joking about needing a bib—babete—because he’s drooling like a kid with no self-control.

The groove sways between kizomba and ghetto-zouk, but what really moves is the slow-motion flirtation, choreographed down to her calculated charm and his predictable collapse.

Genres : Latin,kizomba, musica angolana

The music video is directed by Felitcheck

>> Lyrics

5.81% / 0.43%

A multilingual swirl of Arabic, French, and maybe Korean, “RYM – Songi Remix” doesn’t waste time announcing its global intentions.

RYM teams up with Salima Chica, who brings a melodic counterpoint to her collaborator’s more idiosyncratic delivery.

Borrowing from North African textures and Afrobeat syncopation, the track moves with a polished modernity that never quite forgets its roots.

The lyrics nod to themes of love, tenacity, and hardship, though you’re more likely to notice the rhythm before the message lands.

If it’s emotional range they’re after, they mostly hide it under a layer of slick hooks and sharp production choices.

The result? A remix that sounds cross-cultural by design, and catchy almost by accident.

Genres : kizomba, zouk

>> Lyrics

“Tattoo” spins a tale of romantic excess, where ink becomes a daily reminder of devotion.

Teddy Hashtag half-croons, half-confesses in Haitian Creole, laying out his case for public affection—even if his friends think he’s lost it.

Written by Ted Harry Beaufort and produced by Perfect Beat, the track sticks to smooth pop terrain, tender but never heavy-handed.

The tattoo isn’t just skin-deep—it’s a stand-in for emotional permanence, like saying “forever” without the paperwork.

The production stays melodic, light enough to hum but weighty enough to mean it.

Genres : kompa, zouk

The music video is directed by @alfamegaproductions

In “Tolere W,” Rutshelle Guillaume joins Kaï for a kompa slow-burn in which love overstays its welcome.

She spells out the quiet misery of a woman who clings to a relationship that’s long past repair.

He breaks promises, compares her to others, and yet she won’t walk away—not when all she knows is his address.

The chorus, “Tolere mwen, tolere w,” lands like a sigh, two people playing house while “bathing in bitter heartbreak.”

It’s less a duet than a confession no one asked to hear, and one she’s been meaning to get off her chest.

Genres : Latin,kompa, kompa gouyad

The music video is directed by Abdias Laguerre

>> Lyrics >> More by the same : Website

8.43% / 0.21%

“Delicious” pairs Phil-Emon with Nel Ngabo on a 2025 Afrobeat/R&B track that leans into smooth vocals and guitar-driven rhythms.

The lyrics circle desire and proximity—requests to come closer, sway together, and bask in flirtation: “Won’t you let me dance with you? Delicious. You’re better than delicious.”

Its upbeat sensuality is shaped by warm melodies and a sticky chorus, tapping into East African touches that echo through the vocal interplay.

Genres : kompa, kizomba, zouk

The music video is directed by Anick Didier

188.29% / -11.39%

“Lot Chance” lands as a 2025 single from Donovan Bts, joined by O’bra and Mii Guel for an Afro-pop outing with island sidesteps and melodic bounce.

The beat—a collaboration between K.LEWIS and Underrated Studio—leans on catchy hooks and smooth rhythmic lines without breaking a sweat.

Donovan Bts handles main vocals and writing duties, with a little lift from Dwayne Tanner’s background harmonies and Miguel Nadal’s layered input.

Everything here hums with a grin, circling around themes of positivity and—you guessed it—opportunity, though nobody’s forcing any epiphanies.

With this one, Donovan Bts keeps things collaborative and easygoing, sketching out a neat position in Afro-pop without overstating the moment.

Genres : zouk, kompa, shatta

The music video is directed by YC Prod.