Kizaro's Top 14 Songs of 2014

2014 will go down as one of the most interesting years for music followers and artistes alike. It was a year in which many new artistes got their foot in the door, while some not so new ones threw down statements of intent to rule our airwaves and playlists for as long as possible. 

Its never easy sieving through thousands of truly amazing songs to draw up a list of just 14 but we kept our focus with an eye on originality, production lyrical content and attitude to give you Kizaro's best 14 songs of 2014. We wish y'all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!

14. Patoranking Ft. Tiwa Savage - "Girlie o" Remix

Patrick Okorie's career ascended to new heights this year after his monster breakout song Alubarika put the Dancehall crooner on the map big time. Girlie o, the follow up song took the music scene by storm and stayed on rotation across the country on Nightclub and Radio playlists for months. The song caught the attention of Mavin Record Label First Lady Tiwa Savage who lobbied her way into a remix of the song that blew us away and earned the No. 14 spot on our list.

13. Nico and Vinz - "Am I Wrong"

The Norwegian duo of Kahouly Sereba and Vincent Dery scored breakout success with this addictive head nodder of a track about individuality and the importance of chasing after your dreams. Kahouly (Nico) and Vincent (Vinz) of Ghanaian and Ivorian ancestry infused their African heritage into the song with a thumping drum roll, emphatic guitars and passionate vocals that leave you in awe of the musical depth that these two guys bring to the table. Am I wrong turned out to be the surprise hit of the summer and was number one across Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. It also went Platinum in the United States with a million copies sold by June 2014. The beauty of the song is the sheer seriousness of the lyrics and earnest vocals diluted by the catchy beat and instrumentation. A classic piece of work and the best song out of Norway in almost thirty years.

12. Davido - "Aye" 

Davido tore up the charts and airwaves in 2014 with his uber love song. An effortlessly charming track that describes unconditional love from a dreany eyed female. Though pilloried and scoffed at by critics for its puppy love lyrics it was a massive hit and Davido's biggest song of 2014.

11. Joe El Featuring Tuface - "Hold On"

Kennis Music artiste and Tuface Idibia sound-alike/disciple released this inspirational smash hit in the company of Tuface Idibia himself. Joe El born Joel Amadi in Kaduna State achieved his dream by featuring his idol Tu Baba on this track. Splendid song with uplifting lyrics and a meaningful message. Definitely one of the best songs of the year and a welcome departure from the champagne and booty fixation the music industry and fans alike have been fixated on.

10. Runtown - "Gallardo"

Douglas Agu aka Runtown marked his spot in 2014 as the artiste to watch with Gallardo. The Enugu state born singer burst into the limelight with this song featuring Davido and hasnt looked back since and has come a long way since he featured on tracks for Phyno and J Martins few years ago. Probably one of the most played songs in years and one that leaves the listener trying to wrap his/her mind around the unusual but addictive traditional infusions. 

9. Wiz Khalifa - "We Dem Boyz"

Trust Wiz Khalifa to deliver an anthem every once in a short while. We Dem Boyz marked a shift in style by Khalifa from his regular stuff to a more Dirty South/Atlanta Crunk format with a light auto-tuned flow. A critical and commercial smash from a rapper on top of his game and bold enough to tinker with his already successful blueprint.

8. Cynthia Morgan - "Don't break my heart"

This delightful love song and rare cross-over effort from reggae crooner, Cynthia Morgan surprised many with its yearning, cleaving lyrics, scintillating flow and vocal stylings. Easily one of the best songs produced and performed on the continent this year, it was one of the big songs in many African countries including Malawi where it was voted the most popular wedding song of 2014. Amazingly its popularity in Nigeria was moderate. Beautiful song and amazing video. Enjoy!

7.  Olamide - "Story for the gods"

The reign of Olamide continued in 2014 with an avalanche of brilliant music in a carryover from last year's triumphant performance. Story for the gods is a Club DJ's delight and an exceptional work of art from a rapper overflowing with creativity. Its obvious that Olamide will be with us for a long time with the way he's going.

6. Omawunmi - "Megbele"

Waffi songstress, Omawunmi Megbele drew our ears with this brilliant self titled and traditionally influenced song in 2014. The story behind the song is simple. Omawunmi was tired of people mispronouncing her surname and decided to record a song that would showcase her culture as well as teach the rest of us how M-E-G-B-E-L-E should be pronounced. If you can't speak a little Itsekiri after you hear this a couple of times e go remain small. 

5. Rayce - "Just like that"

Prolific producer and sometimes singer, Rayce released the most underrated track of the year in "Just like that". A fast paced and groovy number with ridiculously catchy bass lines and drums, the song blows you away and keeps your head nodding even for a few moments after it ends. Definitely a collectors item and hot enough to earn a top five spot on our top 14 songs of the year.

4. Timaya - "Sanko"

Timaya of course needs no introduction, what most people don't know is that before hitting the limelight in 2006, Timi was primarily a reggae artiste. He returned to his roots with Sanko, a hard hitting Dancehall number designed for the dance floor. Arguably the best reggae song of the year, though Patoranking may disagree.

3. Phyno - "Alobam"

Men pasa n'ogbe! The most influential rap track of the year without a doubt. Phyno cultivated something similar to a street movement when he released Alobam off his debut album titled No guts, No Glory. The track spawned a t-shirt line, popularized the term "Alobam" a slang which means a fiercely loyal friend/comrade and cemented his place among Igbo speaking and non-Igbo speaking rap enthusiasts as a rapper of repute. 4.39 minutes of pure genius. 

2. The Dream - "Black"

Observers of world events can tell that 2014 was a year full of challenges and issues that affected many. Super producer and grammy award winner The Dream released "Black" to express his pain at racial discrimination and a number of things that were hurting him terribly on the inside. It was released the day after Donald Sterling, former L.A. Clippers owner was revealed to have made racist comments towards black people. The most powerful song we heard in 2014 and may hear for a very long time. 

1. The Mavins - "Dorobucci"

Its Don Jazzy again!! Without a doubt, 2014 was the year Don Jazzy reminded us who the boss was and introduced the term "Doro" to popular consciousness. After giving us a teaser of the coming storm in 2013, the Mavin Family completely ruled the airwaves, dancefloors, radio, events and about everything else in 2014 with Dorobucci. Laced with a beat that leans towards the Makossa genre, the seemingly straight-foward song assumed a larger than life status due to the sheer novelty factor and brilliance of Don Jazzy which made a national anthem out of it. 

Great Song, Great Concept and ultimately our No. 1 Song of the year 2014.