Top Nigerian Musicians Who Changed Genres In Search Of Stardom

Chidinma Ekile 

The practice of performers flitting from one genre to another in search of fame is not unique to Nigeria.

Whether it be gospel music, afrobeat, R&B, or rap, performers look for the genre that will satisfy the tastes of nearly 200 million Nigerians.

While prospects to profit from Nigeria's $44 million music industry abound, no entertainer would want to keep a distance.

Like in any other industry, being current with trends is essential for staying relevant in the music industry.

Nigerian musicians who have switched between genres in an effort to gain recognition, particularly from gospel to secular music.

Wizkid

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, also known as Wizkid, is a well-known Nigerian Afrobeat singer. He began recording music in church when he was 11 years old under the alias "Lil Prinz," and while doing so, he formed a group called the "Glorious Five" with a few of his church friends. The group later disbanded, but not before they released a joint album.

In 2006, he switched from religious music to secular music and adopted the stage name "Wizkid."

Simi

Simisola Ogunleye, a.k.a. Simi, is a Nigerian singer who began her career as a gospel performer and choir member. When she was ten years old, she composed her first song, which she later released in 2008 under the name "Ogaju."

Simi eventually made the decision to pursue a different career path as a singer of secular music. She recorded secular albums that included her songs "Joromi," "Selense," and "Jamb Question," among others, and these secular albums helped her achieve fame and popularity.

Mercy Chinwo

Prior to becoming a well-known gospel singer in Nigeria, Mercy Chinwo performed pop music under the stage name "Mecindo."

Timaya

Inetimi Timaya Odon, also known as Timaya, is a well-known Bayelsa hip-hop singer. He began his career in the church before spending three years as Eedris Abdulkareem's backing vocalist. In 2006, he released the single hit song, "Dem Mama," which launched his solo music career.

Rema

Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, is a well-known Nigerian rapper and artist who got his start in the church. He belonged to a group named 7 Dimension that featured gospel rappers.

Chidinma Ekile

After working on a couple projects with Frank Edwards and Tim Godfrey at Fearless, Chidinma Ekile declared in 2021 that she was switching from secular to Christian music. With the debut of her single Jehovah Overdo and EP New Covenant, the singer was signed by Eezee Tee under Eezee Concept.

Saint Janet

Janet Oluwatoyosi Ajilore Iyun, better known by her stage name Saint Janet, is a Nigerian female pseudo-juju-gospel singer who also sang in the Cherubim and Seraphim, C&S Church choir before deciding to combine gospel and secular music.

Tosin Martins

Tosin Martins, a gospel singer from Nigeria, transitioned from strictly gospel music to a combination of secular and sacred music.

In a post on social media two years ago, Martins defended his style of mixed music by claiming that people typically have high expectations of artists, necessitating the need to perform well, and that "a secular environment presents you with the opportunity to influence other people with the ideals and values of our faith."