In 2021, making an end-of-year list is a complicated act for any newsroom. It can be hard to keep up with the rapid pace of events in today’s system of hype and overexposure, particularly in light of the tumultuous change of the past year. With notable advancements in social media over the past decade, the worth of a song has now come to mean how many likes, views, clicks, and shares it generates.

Nevertheless, good music doesn’t deserve to be slept on. In the past year, we’ve seen the beginning of a monumental shift towards artists on the continent releasing full bodies of work. This year is no different. In the past eleven months, we’ve seen artists such as Mavin’s Ayra Starr and Magixx release debut albums and EPs, Wizkid release the deluxe version to his magnum opus ‘Made In Lagos’, and even Phyno release his eight studio album ‘Something To Live For.’

With the sheer amount of projects in circulation, it’s easy to miss out on good music that’s not typically on your radar. That’s why we’ve done the job of sifting through the chaff and sourcing out some of the best projects that may have missed your new music rotation. From Victoria Kimani’s daring effort ‘Spirit Animal’ to Lil5ive’s experimental offering ‘Dreams and Imaginations’, here are 11 projects we believe you may have missed this year. Enjoy.

11. Reggie – ‘Two Times A Guy’