While the loss of fame may be a profoundly challenging and isolating experience, not many are fortunate enough to be gifted with the opportunity of a second act.
So when opportunity meets viral culture, what follows is widespread attention and potential success.
In no particular order, the list below features veteran musicians whose careers experienced renewed interest in 2025.
Bright Chimezie
Nigerian highlife legend and creator of the unique ‘Zigima Sound’, Bright Chimezie, also experienced a significant resurgence in fame during 2025.
This renewed popularity, which came with a global publishing deal, was primarily due to an acknowledgement by Afrobeats superstar Davido when he revealed that his 2025 hit single ‘With You’ was directly inspired by Chimezie’s 1984 classic ‘Because of English’.
Following Davido’s recognition, Chimezie posted a video expressing his gratitude, which featured his unique dance moves. This video quickly went viral, with content creators and fans replicating the dance and song on various social media platforms.
Building on the renewed interest, Chimezie signed a landmark global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing in June 2025.
In addition, an acoustic version of his 40-year-old song ‘Because of English’ was released, quickly garnering hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
Veno Marioghae
Veno Marioghae-Mbanefo, a legendary singer of the 1980s, experienced a significant renewed fame in 2025 through collaborations.
In June, Nigerian rapper M.I. Abaga collaborated with Veno to re-release her 1985 classic, ‘Africa Go Survive’. The new version, which featured singer Waje and the Loud Urban Choir, was premiered at the Bill Gates Foundation’s ‘Goalkeepers’ event in Lagos.
M.I. also collaborated with Mr Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, for a humorous social media campaign related to the ‘Goalkeepers’ event in Lagos. Gates appeared in skits assisting with music production for Marioghae’s ‘Nigeria Go Survive’ to promote African resilience.
The skits featured comedians Broda Shaggi and Layi Wasabi.
Mike Ejeagha
Perhaps the most significant career resurgence of all, the 42-year-old classic Igbo highlife song titled ‘Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche’ (How the Chairman was Sold), resurfaced as a viral social media dance challenge in mid-2024.
Popularly known by its refrain ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo’, this resurgence was initiated by Nigerian comedian Brain Jotter in July 2024 when he posted a video on social media featuring the song and specific dance moves.
The video instantly went viral across platforms like TikTok and Instagram, leading to a dance challenge which saw other content creators, celebrities, captains of industries and even politicians, such as the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, joining in.
The Enugu State Government also honoured Mr Ejeagha by naming a road after him.
The trend, which continued into 2025, introduced decades-old music by veteran folklorist Mike Ejeagha, who sadly passed away in June, to a younger generation.
The phrase ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo’ is a reference to the sound of an elephant’s heavy footsteps.
Fela Kuti
While memories of the Afrobeat creator are forever etched in the average Nigerian’s psyche, Fela was this year recognised by the Recording Academy with his induction into the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame. This marked the first time a Nigerian artist received this specific honour, and his sons, Femi and Seun Kuti, accepted the award on his behalf.
Fela Kuti’s iconic 1976 album ‘Zombie’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which recognises recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old.
He is also set to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.
Apostle Ifeanyi Onyeachonam
Another widely significant and viral career resurgence witnessed in 2025 is that of Apostle Ifeanyi Onyeachonam, a veteran Nigerian gospel artiste.
His 2003 hit song ‘Jump Am Pass’ experienced a significant resurgence in fame, much like the recent revival of Mike Ejeagha’s ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo’.
Onyeachonam’s track ‘Jump Am Pass’ became the centre of a popular TikTok dance and content challenge.
The song’s title uses Nigerian Pidgin to convey the idea of avoiding or overcoming obstacles, especially spiritual and physical traps set by enemies.
Following the viral trend, several of his classic works were re-released or uploaded to major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, in 2023 and 2025, allowing a new generation to access his music.
Adewale Ayuba/Yinka Ayefele
The duo of Adewale Ayuba and Yinka Ayefele experienced a surge in renewed public attention by featuring in the official music video for pop artist Adekunle Gold’s song ‘Many People’.
The collaboration was released in October as part of his album Fuji.
The chorus ‘Many many many people say’ was originally part of Adewale Ayuba’s 1995 album ‘Fuji Music’. Yinka Ayefele later sampled it in his 2003 album ‘Aspiration’.
Following in his predecessors’ footsteps, Adekunle Gold reimagined the line as an anthem of triumph and confidence.
Nnenna Goodness
While hers may not translate to a career resurgence, veteran Nigerian gospel singer Sister Nnenna Goodness received renewed visibility in 2025.
In March, she made a video in which she revealed that she had been evicted from her home, showing that despite her popularity, she no longer owns the rights to her music.
Ms Goodness is best known for her song ‘He Has Promised He Will Never Fail’ and her 2014 album ‘Total Worship in Ebube’.
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Yemi My Lover
2025 also placed veteran filmmaker, Yemi Ayebo, also known as Yemi My Lover on the spotlight when he alleged that Olamide, alongside other artistes, sampled his 1990s film, ‘Yemi My Lover,’ in their songs without giving him credit.
In 2013, Olamide released the song ‘Yemi My Lover’, a track on his album ‘Baddest Guy Ever Liveth.’
“I have never met Olamide, and he didn’t reach out to me when he sampled ‘Yemi My Lover’ in his song. I tried to contact him, but I couldn’t get through. When he released the song, I was happy because it served as a form of promotion for me.
“However, what pained me was that when he wanted to shoot the music video, I expected him to call me to feature in it. I would be thrilled to meet him today,” he said in an interview in March.
This year also witnessed the the re-release of the 1993 Yoruba movie and its sequel, ‘Yemi My Lover’ Part 2, which were both made available for streaming on YouTube.
