Nigerian singer Jaywon has accused both gospel and Afrobeats artists of copying the style of his 2012 hit song, This Year, while criticising Billboard for leaving the track out of its recently released list of Best Afrobeats Songs of All-Time.
The singer, whose real name is Iledare Oluwajuwonlo, expressed his frustration in a post on X on Thursday, August 21, 2025. He claimed his song has had more cultural influence than many of the tracks on Billboard’s list.
“This Year by Jaywon had more viral moments and cultural impact than some tracks Billboard decided to rank,” he wrote. “Trending since 2012 and still going strong. Tell me, who else has pulled that off? Hate is inevitable. Year after year, both gospel and Afrobeats acts copy the same vibe, yet we remain unshaken.”
He went further to say, “Cry harder, I said it before, and I’ll say it again… No song on that list has more cultural impact than This Year by Jaywon!”
Billboard’s Top 50 Best Afrobeats Songs of All-Time list placed African Queen by 2Face at number one, followed by Wizkid’s Ojuelegba, Flavour’s Nwa Baby, Rema’s Calm Down, and CKay’s Love Nwantiti in the top five.
Jaywon is not the only Nigerian artist upset about the ranking. Singer Terry G also recently expressed displeasure, saying his hit songs were overlooked despite their wide popularity.
Jaywon’s 2012 track, widely played during festive seasons and special celebrations, remains one of his most recognised works and continues to trend 13 years after its release.
