Asake makes New York Times, Rolling Stone’s 2022 top albums list

‘Mr. Money With the Vibe’, a project by Asake, the Nigerian Afropop singer, is listed among both Rolling Stone and the New York Times’ top albums of 2022.

‘Mr. Money with the Vibe’ is the debut album by Asake, following his signing with YBNL in February 2022.

It was released in September through Empire Distribution and comprised 12 tracks produced by Magicsticks.

The album features guest appearances from Russ and Burna Boy, with two tracks having been released prior.

For the New York Times, Asake’s work was listed as number nine among albums that became disruptive.

“The debut album from the rising Nigerian star Asake is both appealingly grounded and aiming for an astral plane,” the publication wrote,” the New York Times wrote.

“Taking in Afrobeats, fuji, and amapiano but also flickers of jazz fusion and even gospel, Asake’s music is enveloping and inspirational, mellow but assured.”

Speaking of the category in which Asake’s album was put up, the publication added: “Disruption is in the air. Being contentedly static is no longer enough. Judging by these albums, it was a year of release.”

On Rolling Stone, Asake clinched 39th place in a list of 100 music albums picked from across the globe.

“Asake has become one of Nigeria’s biggest breakout stars in recent years, thanks to a street-pop sound that mixes up snatches of local styles with big, bold hooks and vivid dispatches of life in Lagos,” the publication said.

“Mr. Money With the Vibe was the highest-charting Nigerian debut album to ever hit the Billboard 200, and for good reason.

“Long on pleasure and presence, it offers everything from a Burna Boy cameo (the remix of ‘Sungba’) to hypnotically grooving burners (‘Joha’) to incantatory slow ones.”

‘Mr. Money with the Vibe’ came as a follow-up to Asake’s eponymous EP which was released in February 2022.

It became the highest-charting debut Nigerian album on the Billboard 200, peaking at 66 in September 2022.