Everyone’s buzzing about #1 or #2 on Billboard’s Top 50 Best Afrobeats Songs of All Time. But Ghanaian voices quietly made impactful statements too, five entries in the top 30, no less. That’s worth its own spotlight.
The Ghanaian Entries on the List
Billboard’s updated list, released August 2025, puts R2Bees’ “Kiss Your Hand” (feat. Wande Coal) at No. 13, a smooth, early collaboration that helped fuse Ghanaian pop with Nigerian Afrobeats. Fuse ODG’s “Azonto” lands at No. 18, a fast-moving global dance phenomenon that carried Ghana’s rhythms into mainstream stages. Sarkodie feat. Castro’s “Adonai” climbs in at No. 19, a Twi-language track that still feels personal and powerful. Mr Eazi & Efya’s “Skin Tight” (No. 26) opened a moodier, melodic lane. And finally, Amaarae & MOLIY’s “Sad Girlz Luv Money” sits at No. 29, a TikTok-fueled cross-genre sound that brought fresh swagger to the list.
It’s not just pride, it’s context. Nigerian artists dominate the top spots (2Baba, Wizkid, Rema, etc.), and that’s part of the story. But Ghana’s presence shows range, from dancefloor anthems and rap sorcery to melodic trap-pop and viral modern alté. These entries show how Ghana contributes texture and movement to Afrobeats’ global narrative.
What’s refreshing is how each song earned its place for different reasons. “Azonto” is almost cultural shorthand, Ghana’s beat exports with a global gym-share energy. “Adonai” is rooted and earnest, a gift to a lost friend. “Sad Girlz Luv Money” is millennial mood and remix magic. And “Skin Tight” feels soft in the right places, giving room for emotion. That diversity is Ghana’s value; its strength is not dominance but nuance.
Voices from Ghana
Fuse ODG, who helped propel Azonto across the globe, has often said, “Highlife is the seed out of which Afrobeats was created,” pointing to Ghana’s foundational rhythm in today’s sound. Amaarae brings Sad Girlz Luv Money to life as a fusion of alté, ease, and swagger. As The Guardian notes, she delivers “rock-star magnetism,” blending genre-bending flair with unapologetic femininity. Sarkodie’s Adonai is recognized as “a soulful testament” that spread Ghanaian rap beyond borders.
The headlines may celebrate the top slots, but Ghana’s cuts on the list carry their own weight. They’re markers of moments when Ghana shifted the sound, sparked dance floors, or pushed Afrobeats into new corners of the world. That influence doesn’t need a number beside it to be felt.
