Asake beats Drake to claim Nigeria’s No. 1 album spot

Nigerian artist Asake has claimed the top spot on the official TurnTable Charts for albums in Nigeria for the tracking week of May 15-21, 2026. His latest release, M$NEY, outperformed international releases, including Drake’s ICEMAN, on the local chart.

TurnTable Charts, which track performance based on streaming and radio airplay in Nigeria, placed M$NEY at No. 1. This marks a strong local showing for Asake, whose project set the record for the biggest debut week for a Nigerian album with 38,000 units (equivalent to 57 million streams), surpassing Davido’s previous benchmark of 33,600 units with ‘Timeless’.

In contrast, Drake’s ICEMAN which was released around the same period, did not secure the top position on the Nigerian album chart. Drake has achieved major international success with the project. It is aiming for a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 174,000 units and has recently surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. In May 2026, Drake also set a new record for the most streams by any rapper in a single month on Spotify, with over 2.7 billion streams, breaking his own 2021 mark.

Local dominance amid global competition

Asake’s performance highlights the strength of his domestic fanbase and consistent output. Recent data on Spotify streams for 2026 Nigerian songs shows Asake tracks occupying multiple top positions. Songs like “Jogodo” (with Wizkid, 60.8 million streams), “Turbulence” (with Wizkid, 36.9 million), “WORSHIP” (30.8 million), “Gratitude” (20.8 million), and “Forgiveness” (20 million) demonstrate his reach.

‘Forgiveness’ by Asake also spent a second week at No. 1 on the Official Nigeria Top 100 singles chart, combining strong on-demand streams (4.51 million in one reported week) and radio reach.

Asake has built a notable track record on TurnTable Charts, including holding the record for the most No. 1 entries on the Nigeria Top 100. His albums, such as ‘Work of Art’ and ‘Mr Money With The Vibes’, continue to rank among the most-streamed projects in Nigeria’s streaming era.

Context of the releases

Both projects arrived in a busy release window. Drake’s ICEMAN has driven massive global numbers, reflecting his broad international appeal across streaming platforms. Asake’s success, however, centers on Nigeria’s vibrant Afrobeats market, where local artists often lead consumption through platforms popular in the country.

This outcome is not unusual in regional charts, where homegrown artists frequently outperform global superstars due to cultural relevance, language, and concentrated airplay and streaming from local audiences. Asake’s run with M$NEY adds to his growing catalog of high-performing releases in 2026.

The contrast underscores differences between local and global chart dynamics. While Drake continues to set streaming benchmarks worldwide, Asake maintains control of the Nigerian charts through targeted appeal and steady output.