You know “Working on Me.” You know “Nazarene.” You know “Chosen.” You probably have at least one Sinmidele song sitting somewhere in your playlist too.

But do you know where these artists started?

Before the big collaborations, albums, concerts and songs that would eventually become part of the AfroGospel sound we know today, there were earlier songs, smaller releases and, in some cases, years of preparation.

So, just like we did in Part 1, let’s go back to the beginning of some familiar names and see what their early music looked like.

CalledOut Music — Working on Me

Samuel Nwachukwu launched his solo career in 2016 with “Working on Me,” released on his 21st birthday. His official biography describes it as the single that marked the beginning of CalledOut Music.

It is interesting to hear “Working on Me” knowing how much CalledOut Music’s sound has developed since then. From “My Prayer” to “Love Around,” “Warm Embrace” and his later projects, the journey has been quite a one.

But every journey has to start somewhere.

And for CalledOut Music, it started with God working on him.

Anendlessocean — Falala

In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed that he released his first professionally recorded song in February 2016. However, he also explained that he wasn’t consistently releasing music at the time. His career properly began taking shape around 2020.

“Falala” is commonly identified as his early debut release, but the bigger story is what happened around it. Anendlessocean spent years writing, experimenting and developing before the wider music scene really began to notice him.

Then came Apeirogon in 2021, followed by projects like Decagon and Hexagon.

Marizu — Chosen

His first single was “Chosen,” released in 2017 after he graduated from university.

“Chosen” is about identity — understanding who you are and who Christ has made you to be. Years later, Marizu’s catalogue has grown considerably, but “Chosen” remains an interesting place to revisit if you want to hear where his journey began.

Sinmidele — Heavy

In 2019, Sinmidele released “Heavy” with Remii. The song is described as her debut single and combines soul and folk influences while exploring the weight that can come with love, the desire for freedom and finding comfort in genuine love.

Of course, the Sinmidele we know today has moved beyond those early releases. Her music has become more reflective, intimate and worshipful, with songs such as “In Plain Sight,” “After All These Years,” “Sacred” and “Heaven on Earth.”

And that is the fun of looking through an artist’s old catalogue. Sometimes, you don’t just hear an old song. You hear the beginning of an artist becoming who they are today.

So, whose early song surprised you the most?

And if you haven’t listened to these songs before, perhaps this is your sign to go digging through the old catalogues.

You might just discover that your favourite artist has been making music for much longer than you thought.