Laho Is the Song of the Year (So Far) as Shallipopi Emerges from the Shadows
The “song of the year” conversation is a constant no matter the time of the year. Blogs push agendas, labels rally behind their stars, TikTok trends take over, and everyone has predictions.
When 2025 kicked off, a few names dominated the discussion. Snippets flew, fans debated, and hype began to build. But for Crown Uzama, better known as Shallipopi, things were different. Fresh out of his deal with Dapper Music, questions began to swirl: Could he hold it down on his own? The talent is there, but without the machine behind him, would the momentum last?
Then came the “Laho” snippet.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t jump on it at first. But as we’ve seen time and time again in this snippet-driven era, if it’s fire, it’ll find its way. And Laho did more than that. It exploded.
When the track finally dropped, it matched the hype and then some.
“Minister of Enjoyment”, “Intercontinental,” “Monumental”—whatever Shallipopi is saying, it’s going. With its smooth rhythm and mix of Edo and Pidgin, the song quickly became a TikTok favourite, a club staple and began crossing borders.
The numbers speak for themselves: It debuted at #17 on the Global Shazam Chart, topped Apple Music charts in 10 African countries, and reached the top 3 in many more. It also has over 23 million streams on Spotify, 12 million on YouTube and counting. But the real magic? The cultural motion it’s creating.
Just days ago, NBA star Pascal Siakam debuted a new three-point celebration inspired by Laho. He wasn’t alone. Obi Toppin joined the wave, too. Siakam even mentioned in a recent interview how the celebration came about and how he plans to keep it going through the playoffs. And you know how this goes: if the players are dancing, the fans will be too. Music meets sports? That’s wildfire.
Other songs have come and gone this year, but as of today, nothing is moving like Laho.
And with summer on the horizon, it’s looking more and more like Laho might run the whole year.
Sit tight. Press play. The song of the year is here.
