In a moment that feels like a victory lap for African music worldwide, Tems and Burna Boy have just written another unforgettable chapter in music history. These two Nigerian stars aren’t just topping playlists and selling out shows , they’ve now officially become the African artists with the most entries on the prestigious Billboard U.S. Hot 100 chart. This isn’t a small feat; it’s the result of years of meteoric rise, boundary-pushing creativity, and cultural influence that’s reshaped how the world hears African sounds.
Tems’s journey to this moment reads like a classic breakout story. Starting from collaborations that amplified her soulful voice on global hits, she carved her own space on the international stage , becoming the first African female artist to score seven Billboard Hot 100 entries. Her most recent duet on “Bounce Road Blues” with J. Cole and Future didn’t just enter the chart, it helped lift her tally to eight, pushing her past previous ties and setting a fresh continental benchmark.
Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning powerhouse known affectionately as the African Giant, has matched that same total of eight Billboard placements, proving that his influence is as consistent as it is expansive. What’s especially remarkable is not just that he’s appeared this many times, but that he has now achieved a Billboard Hot 100 entry for six consecutive years , a testament to his longevity and global appetite for his music.
These latest chart appearances came through their work on J. Cole’s album The Fall-Off, where Tems’s feature on “Bounce Road Blues” debuted impressively at number 34, and Burna Boy’s spot on “Only You” landed at number 78. Those numbers might seem just like positions on a list, but for Afrobeats and African artists, they represent a growing acceptance and celebration of sounds once considered niche outside the continent
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