Afrobeats

Umbrella term for contemporary West African pop music, distinct from Afrobeat

This article is about 21st century genre and overarching term for West African pop music. For the 1960s/1970s genre made by artists such as Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, see Afrobeat. For the British genre popularised by J Hus, see Afroswing.

This article may contain an excessive number of citations. Please help remove low-quality or irrelevant citations. (August 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Afrobeats

Stylistic origins|

* Afrobeat
* dancehall
* fuji
* hiplife
* highlife
* kpanlogo
* hip hop
* jùjú
* ndombolo
* palm-wine
* R&B
* soca
* house

Cultural origins| 2000s Ghana / Nigeria
Derivative forms|

* Afroswing
* Bakosó
* Afro trap

Subgenres

* Azonto
* Banku music
* Pon pon

Fusion genres

* Afropiano
* Afrosoca
* Afroswing
* Afro trap
* Alté
* Bakosó

Other topics

* Afropop
* Afro fusion
* Bongo flava
* Nigerian hip hop
* Ghanaian hip hop
* Gqom
* UK funky
* Zouk

Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora[1][2] that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a style per se, and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing majorly out of Nigeria. Genres such as hiplife, jùjú music, highlife, azonto music, and naija beats, among others, were amalgamated under the "Afrobeats" umbrella.[3][4][5][6]

Afrobeats is primarily produced in Lagos, Accra, and London. Historian and cultural critic Paul Gilroy reflects on the changing London music scene as a result of shifting demographics:[7]

> We are moving towards an African majority which is diverse both in its cultural habits and in its relationship to colonial and postcolonial governance, so the shift away from Caribbean dominance needs to be placed in that setting. Most of the grime folks are African kids, either the children of migrants or migrants themselves. It's not clear what Africa might mean to them.

In his earlier book, The Black Atlantic, Gilroy rejects the notion that Black culture and music can be bound to one geographical region.[8] Afrobeats exemplifies this syncretism as a transnational genre that since 2019 has received international attention.[9] David Drake writes about popular Nigerian music noting it is "Picking up on trends from the U.S., Jamaica, and Trinidad, they reimagine diasporic influences and—more often than not—completely reinvent them."[10]

Afrobeats began to experience widespread global mainstream acclaim in the late 2010s, with artists achieving success across Africa, Europe, and North America.[11] In response, it has been referred to as one of Africa's 'biggest cultural' or 'musical' exports.[12][13]

## Characteristics

[edit]

Afrobeats (with the s) is commonly conflated with and referred to as Afrobeat (without the s); however, these are two distinct and different sounds and are not the same.[9][14][15][16][17][18] Afrobeat is a genre that developed in the 1960s and 1970s, taking influences from Fuji music and highlife, mixed in with American jazz and funk. Characteristics of Afrobeat include big bands, long instrumental solos, and complex jazzy rhythms.[19][20] The name was coined by Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.[21] Fela Kuti and his longtime partner, drummer Tony Allen, are often credited for laying the groundwork for what would become afrobeats.[2][22][23][24][25]

This is in contrast to the Afrobeats sound, pioneered in the 2000s and 2010s. While afrobeats takes on influences from afrobeat, it is a diverse fusion of various different genres such as British house music, hiplife, hip hop, dancehall, soca, jùjú music, highlife, R&B, ndombolo, Naija beats, Azonto, and palm-wine music.[26][9][14][27][1][16][28][29][3] Unlike Afrobeat, which is a clearly defined genre, afrobeats is more of an overarching term for contemporary West African pop music. The term was created in order to package these various sounds into a more easily accessible label, which were unfamiliar to the UK listeners where the term was first coined.[3][4][5][25] Another, more subtle contrast between the two sounds, is that while Fela Kuti used his music to discuss and criticise contemporary politics, afrobeats typically avoids such topics, thereby making it less politically charged than afrobeat.[30]

Afrobeats is most identifiable by its signature driving drum beat rhythms, whether electronic or instrumental. These beats harken to the stylings of a variety of traditional African drum beats across West Africa as well as the precursory genre Afrobeat.[31] The beat in Afrobeats music is not just a base for the melody, but acts as a major character of the song, taking a lead role that is sometimes equal to or of greater importance than the lyrics and almost always more central than the other instrumentals. Afrobeats shares a similar momentum and tempo to house music. Usually using the 4/4 time signature common in Western music, afrobeats commonly features a 3–2 or 2–3 rhythm called a clave.[2][4] Another distinction within Afrobeats is the notably West African, specifically Nigerian or Ghanaian, accented English[31] that is often blended with local slangs, Nigerian pidgin English, as well as local Nigerian or Ghanaian languages depending on the backgrounds of the performers.

Sampling is sometimes used within Afrobeats music. Burna Boy and Wizkid, for example, have both sampled Fela Kuti.[11]

## Name

[edit]

London-based DJ Abrantee was credited by The Guardian for coining the name "Afrobeats",[9] adding an "s" to Afrobeat, in order to package and present the sound to British dancefloors.[32][33] DJ Abrantee stated:[9]

> I cannot say I invented Afrobeats. Afrobeats was invented before I was born. It was invented by Fela Kuti. But what you've got to remember is the genre of music artists themselves are now producing — the likes of Wizkid, Ice Prince, P-Square, Castro, May7ven are calling their music Afrobeats. So that's what I call it when I put them on my mix tapes.

Afrobeats is less of a style like Afrobeat is, and more of an overarching term for the contemporary sound of African pop music and that of those influenced by it.[1][27][3] DJ 3K criticised the label for being a contemporary marketing category. According to David Drake, the eclectic genre "reimagines diasporic influences and—more often than not—completely reinvents them".[2] However, some caution against equating Afrobeats to contemporary pan-African music, in order to prevent the erasure of local musical contributions. Some artists have distanced themselves from the term 'afrobeats' due to the overt similarity it has with 'afrobeat', even though they are different sounds.[3][28]

Afrobeats is also sometimes referred to as Afro-pop[28][34][3] and Afro-fusion.[35][36] A few artists have used the same alternative names to describe their music; Don Jazzy has stated he prefers "Afro-pop" rather than Afrobeats.[28] Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido all use Afro-fusion or Afro-pop to describe their music. Mr Eazi also refers to his music as 'banku music' to denote the influence Ghana has had on his music (banku is a Ghanaian dish).[3][37][38] Rema coined the term "Afrorave", which is a subgenre of Afrobeats with influences of Arabian and Indian music.[39][40]

Yeni Kuti, daughter of Fela Kuti, expressed distaste for the name 'Afrobeats' and instead preferred if people referred to it as "Nigerian pop", "Naija Afropop", or "Nigerian Afropop".[23][41] Similarly, Seun Kuti, the youngest son of Fela Kuti, has maintained that the music made by Dbanj and P-Square should be classified as Afropop. In defence, he said, "You cannot just call some pop music Afrobeat just because it's coming from Africa...".[42] Music critic Osagie Alonge criticised the pluralisation of 'afrobeat'. Sam Onyemelukwe of Trace Nigeria, a television show, however noted that he liked 'afrobeats', noting that it acknowledges the foundation set by afrobeat while also recognising that it's a different and unique sound.[41] Nigerian artist Burna Boy has stated that he does not want his music referred to as afrobeats. However, most of these monikers, including afrobeats, have been criticised for using the 'afro' prefix, presenting Africa as a monolithic entity, rather than one with diverse cultures and sounds.[35]

Reggie Rockstone, a pioneering hiplife artist, felt conflicted over artists in an interview with Gabriel Myers Hansen:

> It's like 'Oh come on! We work so hard for you to get on, and now you're gonna deny what it is that we did? Come on!' Sometimes I get that vibe, but then, in the same breath, I'm like, well, it is one Africa, and I'm pan-African to the bone. So do I really care if it's called Afrobeats or hiplife? As long as Black people are getting it, and young people are making money, feeding their kids, I think I'm okay. So, to each their own.

Rockstone used "afrobeats" rather than "hiplife"—a genre often placed under the "Afrobeats" umbrella.[43]

## History

[edit]

### Beginnings

[edit]

Styles of music that make up afrobeats largely began sometime in the late '90s and early to mid-2000s. With the launching of MTV Base Africa in 2005, West Africa was given a large platform through which artists could grow. Artists such as MI Abaga, Naeto C and Sarkodie were among the first to take advantage of this, however most of the artists were merely making interpretations of American hip hop and R&B. Prior to this, groups such as Trybesmen, Plantashun Boiz, and the Remedies were early pioneers that fused modern American influences from hip-hop and R&B with local melodies.[44][45] While this allowed them to build local audiences, it blocked them from a wider platform due to the language barriers in-place. P-Square released their album Game Over in 2007, which was unique for its usage of Nigerian rhythms and melodies. Meanwhile, artists such as Flavour N'abania embraced older genres, such as highlife, and remixing it into something more modern, as seen in his song "Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)".[3] By the late 2000s, artists within the burgeoning scene were beginning to become stars across the continent.[46]

However it was not until the launch of Choice FM's new Afrobeats radio show birthed and presented by DJ Abrantee in April 2011 that the genre gained traction and saw 'Afrobeats' trending for the first time in history. The launch of the show gained popularity and provided a launch pad for both UK based and African artists to submit songs for playlist consideration. Abrantee used his daytime show to test daytime play of Afrobeats. Some of the first Afrobeats songs to be playlisted on daytime radio across the UK were Mista Silva's "Boom Boom Tah", May7ven's "Ten Ten", D'Banj's "Oliver Twist", and Moelogo's "Pangolo" in March 2012. P-Square released "Chop My Money (Remix)" alongside popular Senegalese-American artist Akon in 2012.[3] "Oliver Twist", released online by Nigerian artist D'banj in the summer of 2011 charted at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in 2012 (making him the first afrobeats artist to make it to the top 10 in the UK) and number 2 on the UK R&B Chart. In 2012, P-Square remixed their 2009 hit single "E No Easy" with Matt Houston, and it became the first afrobeats song to reach top 5 on the French SNEP music chart, as well as top 10 on the Belgian Ultratop chart, spending 29 weeks and 16 weeks respectively. The song was the first afrobeats summer hit in France, which in turn boosted afrobeats' visibility in the francophone countries.[47][48][49][28][3] Mr Eazi later credited D'banj in an interview with Sway in the Morning in 2019 for helping encourage Nigerians to embrace their accents and music, rather than looking outwards and trying to emulate American accents and music.[50] British DJs such as DJ Edu, with his show Destination Africa on BBC Radio 1Xtra, and DJ Abrantee, with his show on Choice FM, granted African music a platform in the United Kingdom. DJ Abrantee has been credited for coining the name "afrobeats".[28][9][14] DJ Abrantee launched his Afrobeats charts on Capital Xtra in 2014. DJs and producers like DJ Black, Elom Adablah, and C-Real, were also crucial in spreading afrobeats, often giving songs a burst of popularity after being played on their shows.[51]

### Azonto and dance crazes

[edit]

Fuse ODG (top) and Davido (bottom)

Ghanaian British artist Fuse ODG helped popularise afrobeats in the UK. He was also the first to top the iTunes World Chart and received the Best African Act award at the 2013 MOBO Awards. In 2009, Fuse ODG described his sound as "hip hop with an African vibe". In 2011, Fuse ODG travelled to Ghana where he discovered the Azonto dance, and became inspired by hip hop-influenced Afro-pop and Naija beats. Once he returned to London, he fused the sounds he had found in Ghana into what he described as "Afrobeats, but with my U.K. thing added to it", fusing the sound with influences from UK funky and grime.[52] In 2012, he saw his first success with the song "Antenna" which peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. He followed that up with "Azonto", which further helped popularise afrobeats and the dance in the UK.[9] Such songs, and the Azonto dance craze, helped encourage Black Brits to embrace their African heritage rather than, as was the norm before, attempting to fit into British-Caribbean communities.[51][28] Afrobeats night clubs became primary features of UK's nightlife with clubs opening in most major cities.[29]

More viral dances would follow which played an important part in popularising afrobeats. In 2011, Nigerian singer Iyanya released "Kukere". The song became popular and known for its adaption of a traditional dance called Etighi.[53] Another dance was popularised by Nigerian artist Davido when he released "Skelewu" in 2013. Davido promoted the song by uploading an instructional dance video of it onto YouTube on 18 August 2013. The video was directed by Jassy Generation. The release of the instructional video accompany the announcement of the Skelewu dance competition. In order to win the competition, participants were told to watch the instructional dance video and upload videos of themselves dancing to the song.[54][55] According to Pulse Nigeria, the number of dance videos uploaded to YouTube by fans aggregated to over 100,000 views.[56][2]

Other British afrobeats artists also emerged around 2012–2013, such as Mista Silva, Vibe Squad, Weray Ent, Naira Marley, Kwamz, Flava, Moelogo, and Timbo, who collectively set the foundation for future UK afrobeats and its derivative genre, Afroswing.[57][58][59] Mista Silva's songs "Bo Won Sem Ma Me" and "Boom Boom Tah" were notable early hits in the UK afrobeats scene.[59][60][7] Mista Silva and Skob credited Fuse ODG's "Azonto" song for encouraging them to create afrobeats.[61]

Ghanaian artist Guru also popularised his own dance in 2013 called "Alkayida" with the release of the song "Alkayida (Boys Abrɛ)".[53][62][63] Nigerian artist MC Galaxy also popularised a dance called "Sekem".[53]

“Shekini”, off of P-Square’s “Double Trouble” album (released in 2014), played a role in increasing the visibility of afrobeats in the Middle East and North Africa. The song influenced a lot of recordings and parodies in the Arab World, notably from acts like Arash and Black Cats.[64][65]

Another method of utilising social media in order to boost a song was seen in the promotion of "Dorobucci", released in 2014, wherein Don Jazzy encouraged people to record themselves singing the song prior to release.[2] The song won Best Pop Single at The Headies 2014, and Song of the Year at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards. It gained over 20 million views by 2016.[66]

Ghanaian artist Sarkodie won Best International Act Africa at the MOBO Awards in 2012, and Best Hip Hop award at the 2014 MTV Africa Awards. In 2011, his song "U Go Kill Me" became a hit in Ghana and helped popularise the Azonto dance craze.[51][14]

### Mid-2010s

[edit]

American artists such as Michelle Williams, French Montana, Rick Ross, and Kanye West have all collaborated with Afrobeats artists. Michelle Williams released "Say Yes" in 2014, a gospel song based on the Nigerian hymn When Jesus Say Yes. The song's beats are said to resemble the popular four-beat of house music, but in fact follows the 3–2 or 2–3 of Afrobeats. This beat is known as the clave and mixes a rhythm with a normal 4/4 beat, it is commonly seen in many forms West African music.[2][3] Another notable hit was "Million Pound Girl (Badder Than Bad)" by Fuse ODG, which reached 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 2014.[67]

In 2014, a genre derivative of afrobeats known as afroswing emerged in the UK, which fused the sound with influences from road rap, grime, dancehall, trap, and R&B. The genre was popularised by J Hus.[68] This has led to many people referring to afroswing as 'afrobeats', however the two genres are distinct from each other.[69][70]

Nigerian musician Wizkid

Canadian artist Drake also began to experiment with afrobeats in the mid-2010s, which arguably helped afrobeats gain international mainstream appeal. In 2014, he featured on "Ojuelegba (Remix)" by Nigerian artist Wizkid alongside British MC Skepta, and in 2016 when he released "One Dance" alongside British singer Kyla and Wizkid. "One Dance" became Spotify's most streamed song, with over a billion streams, and was number 1 in 15 countries.[27][1][71][72] Drake's 2017 album More Life contains many Afrobeats and Dancehall influences.[73] In 2017, Wizkid signed to RCA Records, which became the biggest ever deal an African musician has ever received. Wizkid and Drake have both been credited in helping popularise Afrobeats worldwide.[27][74] "One Dance" has been credited with helping push afrobeats into worldwide mainstream appeal, which would only continue the rise within the following years.[75] Wizkid was later entered into the Guinness Book of Records 2018 for featuring on the most streamed Spotify single of all time, "One Dance". He is the first afrobeats artist to enter the Guinness Book of Records.[76]

Nigerian artist Mr Eazi began to gain popularity in 2016 with his breakout singles "Skin Tight" and "Bankulize", both produced by British-Ghanaian producer Juls.[77][78] He won Best New Artist at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival in 2016. Mr Eazi initially gained his popularity in the UK after Juls reached out to him resulting in the song "Bankulize". Mr Eazi soon after became a star in Ghana and Nigeria.[27] He has stated UK, Ghanaian and Nigerian music have all influenced his music.[79] Mr Eazi calls his music 'Banku Music'.[80][81] He was the first African pop artist to gain an extensive Apple Music artist page.[78]

In 2016, Beat FM in North London became the first British radio station dedicated to afrobeats.[82]

Nigerian artist Tekno signed a multi-million dollar deal with Columbia Records. In August 2017, he released "Pana". The song was a hit in Nigeria, but failed to propel Tekno's career into America as was hoped.[83] On October 1, 2017, Wizkid became the first African artist to hold a sold-out headline show at the Royal Albert Hall.[84]

2017 also saw the rise of Shaku Shaku, another dance craze. Though the origins are not known, the dance is believed to have been popularized by street urchins in Agege around mid-2017. The Shaku Shaku dance move first appeared in Olamide's "Wo" music video.[85] Much like the Azonto dance, Shaku Shaku also gave rise to its own genre of music, pioneered by artists such as Mr Real, Slimcase, Idowest.[86]

### Late-2010s

[edit]

In the late 2010s, international record labels Universal and Warner Music began to invest money into Afrobeats artists.[87][17]

In 2018, French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura released "Djadja".[88][89] The song became a number 1 hit in France and the Netherlands, as well as becoming certified gold in Belgium and Switzerland.[90][91] The song gained over 400 million views on YouTube.[92] She became the first French artist to secure seven top 10 songs in the French Singles chart and the first French singer to gain a number 1 album in the Netherlands since Edith Piaf in 1967, and became the most streamed French female artist in the world.[88][93] Her sophomore album Nakamura became certified gold in France.[93] Her rise has been notable due to the relative difficulty French black women have had in gaining mainstream popularity in France.[94]

Nigerian musician Burna Boy

In June 2018, prominent American rapper Kanye West released his album titled Ye. Fans of Kanye West that searched for his album also, unintentionally, came across Burna Boy's song called "Ye" (released in January). This led to a 200% spike in streams for Burna Boy,[95][96] gaining over 11.2 million streams in the United States.[97] By the late 2010s, Burna Boy emerged as the leading figure in Afrobeats, selling out stadiums in both the U.K and U.S, having a number one album on the UK Album Chart, amassing ten Grammy nominations and becoming the most streamed African artist, all of which was the first by an African artist.[98][99]

In August 2019, Mr Eazi launched emPawa Africa, a talent incubation initiative to nurture and support up-and-coming artistes in Africa. The platform will be used to help promote upcoming artists and give them a major platform. The initiative is also supported by YouTube Music.[100]

The latter half of the 2010s also saw prominent American artists experiment with Afrobeats music. This is notable due to the difficulty Afrobeats has previously had in accessing the American market.[101] In 2016, Nigerian Popstar Ayo Jay enlisted the help of American artists Chris Brown and Fetty Wap to release a remix to his single "Your Number".[102][103] In 2017, Wizkid linked up with Chris Brown for a single titled "African Bad Gyal.”[104] In 2018, Swae Lee and Drake released "Won't Be Late", produced by Nigerian artist Tekno.[105][106] In 2019, Janet Jackson released "Made for Now" with production by Harmony Samuels. The song was afrobeats, and became a top 10 hit on Adult R&B radio.[101] In 2019 two prominent American artists, GoldLink and Beyoncé, both released albums with afrobeats influence. GoldLink released Diaspora on June 12, 2019, featuring an afrobeats song as the lead single, "Zulu Screams" and production from P2J. GoldLink had also previously made "No Lie" alongside Wizkid back in 2014.[107][108] Beyoncé released The Lion King: The Gift, coinciding with the release of Lion King film released by Disney, on July 19, 2019. The album featured artists such as Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, Wizkid, P2J, Yemi Alade, Maleek Berry, Tiwa Savage, and Shatta Wale.[107][109][110] Mr Eazi and GuiltyBeatz predicted the album would help afrobeats reach a higher level of popularity, especially in the US, than it has yet to achieve.[101][110] In July 2019, Yemi Alade's "Johnny" set the record for the most viewed female African music video on YouTube which made her the second artist with the most views on a single video after Davido. In July 2019, Davido and Chris Brown released a music video for their collaboration “Blow My Mind", which at the time became the first video by a Nigerian artist to amass 2 million YouTube views within the first 24 hours of release.[111][112] Afrobeats artist Rema was the first Nigerian musician to land a song on former US president Barack Obama's yearly summer music playlist.[113] On August 23, 2019, Jidenna released the afrobeats album 85 to Africa.[114] On October 1, Chris Brown released "Lower Body", an afrobeats single featuring Davido.[115] On October 25, 2019, Akon released a new afrobeats album titled Akonda.[116]

The rising attention of afrobeats in the US also reached music radio stations, which began airing afrobeats, something they typically would not do before. Davido's "Fall" became a top 20 radio hit in America, 24 months after it was initially released. "Fall" also began rising on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and U.S. Shazam charts, also becoming the longest charting Nigerian song in Billboard history. The song later became certified Gold in Canada and the U.S.[83][117][118] Nigerian artist Burna Boy also saw some success, performing to over 9,000 people in Brooklyn, and gaining over 11.2 million streams from the US on his single "Ye".[119] His album African Giant was nominated for 'Best World Music Album' at the Grammy Awards.[120] Wizkid's "Come Closer" became certified RIAA Gold in 2020, 3 years after initial release. His song "Soco" also received a Canadian Gold certification in 2020.[121][122] Despite gaining popularity in the US there stands some contention between the African American community and the greater African Diaspora. Afrobeats has been treated as an "other" category at BET awards despite being a black genre. These awards are catered toward Black Americans highlighting their lack of solidarity the diaspora says Boima Tucker. Afrobeats artists are tired of being treated like "second class citizens" in African-American Music award shows in the United States.[123] In December 2019, YouTube announced it would be supporting four afrobeats artists: Kizz Daniel, Reekado Banks, Simi, and Teni. Announced at an event titled "A celebration of Afrobeats" hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, YouTube stated it would be providing them with tools to "propel their music, grow their presence on YouTube and accelerate the growth of their audience globally".[124][125]

### 2020s

[edit]

In July 2020, the British Official Charts Company announced it would be creating an 'Official UK Afrobeats Chart' to track the sales and streaming data of afrobeats songs in the UK. In the year prior, afrobeats artists had spent a collective 86 weeks on the Official Chart Top 40, compared to 24 in 2017, and the amount of afrobeats artists in the UK Top 40 had doubled in that period.[note 1] The company claimed it was one of the 'world's first official charts' for afrobeats music.[126]

During the Nigerian End SARS protests in October, Davido's song "Fem" was described as a 'protest song' for the movement.[127] The song was prominently played outside the government secretariat in Lagos, to protest and drown out the Lagos governor who was attempting to speak to the protestors.[128] The Burna Boy song “20 10 20” was created in response to the Lekki Massacre perpetrated by SARS on 20/10/20, where the police forces killed 12 protestors at the Lekki Toll Gate. Lyrics of the song include “Twentieth of October 2020 / You carry army go kill many youth for Lekki / Na so water o, water runaway my eye / Nothing you go talk wey go justify the case of their murder.”[129][130] The political nature of these songs highlights how Afrobeats has been used as a political tool to express community distress and gain awareness for issues facing contemporary Africa, particularly Nigeria.[131]

In April 2021, Davido's song "Fall" became the first Nigerian afrobeats song to receive over 200 million views on YouTube.[132][133] In the same year, Wizkid and Tems became the first Nigerian pop artists to earn a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with their song "Essence", while Burna Boy became the first African artist to earn 100 million streams across three albums each on Spotify.[134][135]

A range of new artists, such as Rema, Fireboy DML, Tems, Joeboy, and Ayra Starr began to gain widespread popularity around the early 2020s, with a defining sound of R&B-infused, and sometimes trap-influenced, afrobeats music. In January 2022, Fireboy DML was the first Nigerian artist to reach the number two position on the UK Singles Chart with his "Peru" remix featuring Ed Sheeran.[136]

In September 2021, Ckay became the second Nigerian pop artist to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with his song "Love Nwantiti" which peaked at number one in India, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, and gained popularity across TikTok.[137][138] CKay personally dubbed his sound 'Emo-afrobeats', noting the additional focus on emotional and romantic-focused lyricism in his music.[139] In the same month Wizkid's "Essence" became the first African song to be certified platinum and to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.[140]

In March 2022, the United States Billboard announced it would be creating an 'Official U.S Afrobeats Songs Chart' to track the sales and streaming data of afrobeat songs in the U.S.[141] In the year prior, Wizkid had spent a collective 27 weeks on the radio domination Chart with Essence, after which Kodak Black's "Super Gremlin" claimed the number one spot.[142] Currently, the genre has yielded some of the biggest success stories of the young decade — including songs like Wizkid's "Essence" featuring Tems, CKay's "Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)" and Fireboy DML's "Peru".[141] In August 2023, Burna Boy's seventh Studio album, I Told Them debuted at number one on the UK Album Chart, the first ever by an African artist.[143] Rema released his debut album Raves & Roses in March 2022 and by 2023 the lead single "Calm Down" went viral with its remix featuring Selena Gomez reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached a record of more than a billion streams on Spotify.[144] Billboard referred to the song as "Afrobeats biggest cross over hit."[145][146]

In 2023, Spotify organized five local workshop and media events within African cities, under the initiative of promoting Afrobeats acts.[144] Later that year, Tyla became the first South African artist to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, with her single "Water" which contains Afrobeats influences.[147]

## Subgenres

[edit]

### Azonto

[edit]

The Azonto is a Ghanaian dance and music genre. Although the origins of the dance are unclear, Ghanaian artist Sarkodie helped popularise the dance with his 2011 song "U Go Kill Me", produced by EL and Krynkman, which became a hit in Ghana.[51][14][53] This wasn't the first Azonto song however. Azonto music first emerged sometime in 2010, with songs such as "Kpo Kpo Body" by Gafacci and "I Like Your Girlfriend" by Bryte and Gafacci being among the first to showcase the new style.[148] The dance craze that followed, in turn, created a subgenre of afrobeats specifically dedicated to the dance, utilising simplistic, faster, and easier to dance to rhythms and simple, memorable hooks.[51][53] In 2011, Fuse ODG traveled to Ghana where he discovered the Azonto dance. Once he returned to London, he realised nobody knew what the dance was, and so he made the song "Azonto", which further catapulted the dance's popularity globally and in the UK. This was also the first time afrobeats was being played on daytime British radio.[9] The song was followed up by another Azonto song, "Antenna".[51][6]

In 2013, Bronx-based rapper 2 Shy released "Azonto Girl", produced by Ghanaian-British producer Rude Boy, helping spread the genre and dance to the United States.[51]

### Banku music

[edit]

Banku music is a subgenre of afrobeats pioneered by Mr Eazi.[80][81][149] The core of the genre is Ghanaian highlife bounce while mixing them with Nigerian chord progressions,[150][151] then mixed in with various other genre influences such as reggae, R&B, and hip-hop. Mr Eazi's style is also mellowed and laid back, with heavy usage of Pidgin English, and percolating rhythms.[81][80] The genre is called 'Banku' in reference to the Ghanaian dish. The dish contains a multitude of different ingredients, much like how Banku is a fusion of various genres.[152][153] Eazi credited Ghana for the mellowed sound in his music, in contrast to the typical high energy of Lagos, Nigeria.[152]

### Pon Pon

[edit]

Pon Pon is a subgenre that was briefly the main sound in the Nigerian afropop music scene during the mid-2010s. The subgenre has been used to describe songs influenced by dancehall and highlife. Sess The Problem Kid, a producer, characterised the genre by its "mellow vibe and soft-hitting synths, mostly in pairs". The name of the subgenre is an onomatopoeia of the synths that feature in Pon Pon songs. There has however been confusion over exactly what defines the subgenre.[154] It's unknown exactly where the genre originated, but Tekno's song "Pana" has been credited for popularising the sound.[155][156][157] Krizbeatz, one of the producers behind "Pana", instead prefers to call the genre "Afro Dance Music" (ADM), denoting the influence of EDM.[158]

Davido's songs "If" and "Fall" both fall under the Pon Pon subgenre. Other songs include "Mad Over You" and "For Life" by Runtown, “Away” by P-Square, "Medicine" and "Odoo" by Wizkid, "Gaga Shuffle" by 2Baba, "Mama" by Mayorkun, "Ma Lo" by Tiwa Savage, "Jeje" by Falz, and "Ur Waist" by Iyanya.[156][155][157]

The subgenre began to fade away by the late 2010s.[159]

## Fusion and derivative genres

[edit]

### Afropiano

[edit]

Afropiano (a portmanteau of afrobeats and amapiano), sometimes called Naija-Amapiano,[160] is a fusion of the South African genre amapiano with afrobeats.[161]

In the early 2020s, Afropiano became one of the most popular forms of afrobeats.[162] One of the most well-known afropiano songs that helped popularize the style of music in its earlier days is the track "Monalisa" by Lojay and Sarz. The song entered the top 10 list of music on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs charts and became the most Shazamed Afrobeats song globally in 2021.[163][164][165][166] Other afropiano songs include "Champion Sound" by Davido, "Amapiano" by Asake, "Go low" by LAX.[167][166]

### Nigerian afro house

[edit]

Not to be confused with Afro house.

Nigerian afro-house is a style of music that combines house music with afrobeats. Although this style of music combines other Electronic dance musical sounds into the hybrid genre, this specific style is not the same as Afro House since its main musical fusion is Afrobeats with House music.[168] This style of music is sometimes associated with Sarz but most often with Niniola especially with her earlier works such as "Ibadi" and "Shaba".[169] This type of music which Niniola often sings in is what got her to be nick-named the "Queen of Afro-House".[170][171]

### Afrosoca

[edit]

Afrosoca is a fusion genre of afrobeats and soca music with some influences from dancehall. The genre was pioneered in Trinidad & Tobago by Nigerian and Trinidadian artists.[172][173] The genre has been pioneered by artists such as Olatunji, Machel Montano, and Timaya. Olatunji's song "Ola" was one of the most popular songs in Trinidad's 2015 carnival season,[173] leading Olatunji to earn the prize "Groovy Soca Monarch" for his performance at the International Soca Monarch competition.[174][175] Another notable song is the remix of "Shake Your Bum Bum" by Timaya and Machel Montano released in 2014, which was a hit in Trinidad.[175][176] By 2016, a wave of Afro Soca songs were released coinciding with the years carnival season in Trinidad. Notable songs include Olatunji's "Oh Yah" and Fay-Ann Lyons and Stonebwoy B's song "Block D Road".[175][177][178]

Shakira Marshall, a New York-based choreographer, has been credited with coining the name 'afrosoca' for her dance class in 2012 in order to describe the unique fusion of Western, Southern and Central African, and Caribbean dance styles she was teaching.[174][179] Afrosoca songs typically have a similar tempo to Groovy Soca (110 to 135 BPM), often with West African-influenced melodies.[175]

Gospel singer and songwriter Isaac Blackman and DJ Derek "Slaughter" Pereira have both criticised the name and the implication that it's a new sound, particularly due to the fact that the origins of soca are African music to begin with.[176]

### Afroswing

[edit]

Main article: Afroswing

Afroswing, also known as Afrobashment, is a British genre that developed in London around 2014.[180][68][181] The genre is derivative of afrobeats, mixing it with various influences from British dancehall, grime, R&B, trap, and hip hop. British rapper J Hus and producers such as Jae5, Blairy Hendrix, Joshua Beatz have been credited for pioneering the new sound. The genre has commercially been very successful in the UK.[182][68][183][184][185]

Afroswing is largely defined by its melody rather than a specific tempo.[68] Producer Steel Banglez stated the key elements of afroswing were happy or dark chords that "make you feel a certain way", and that "drum pattern is the most important thing about this whole sound, it's the snare that comes on the third. In hip-hop it comes on the fourth. Coming off the third beat comes from afrobeats".[186]

Martin Connor, an expert in vocal melodies and rap analysis, described the characteristics of the genre as being "[..] technically in 4/4, what you will hear over and over again is this recurring pattern made up of three notes that are still repeated in the framework of a 4/4 time signature [..] You can hear the inspirations of Jamaican music in the rhythm except Jamaican music doesn't have a bass kick and the snare – that's hip hop, that's traditional rap. So this is that translation of cultures happening subtly in the instrumentation. Yet it still has a hip hop sensibility in terms of lyrical focus and music videos: cars, money, authenticity, hardness".[180]

### Bakosó

[edit]

In Cuba, a new genre of music known as Bakosó emerged in the mid-2010s pioneered in Santiago de Cuba by artists such as Ozkaro and Maikel el Padrino and producers like Kiki Pro. Africans who were studying in Cuba helped influence local Cuban artists by introducing them to African genres, leading to the creation of Bakosó, a fusion of genres such as afrobeats, kuduro, and azonto with local Cuban genres such as rumba and conga.[187][188] An artist named Inka has been credited with coining the name of the genre. Originally the word "Bakosó" was used to mean "party". In 2019, Havana-based DJ Jigüe debuted a documentary titled "Bakosó: AfroBeats of Cuba" (or "Bakosó: Afrobeats de Cuba") about the genre at various film festivals, until it was globally released in 2021.[189][190][191][192][193][194]

### Afro trap

[edit]

Not to be confused with Afroswing.

Afro trap (also written as "Afro-trap") is a genre that takes inspiration from both Sub-Saharan African music traditions and modern rap music. The genre was coined in the mid-2010s by French rapper MHD.[195][196] MHD, who is of West African descent, stated he judged the world of French-language rap was too much influenced by American trends,[196][197] so he decided to create Afro-Trap by incorporating elements of West African culture, such as traditional music and languages such as Fula or Wolof.[195][196] The genre is only very loosely influenced by trap music.[198][199]

The genre has since spread across Europe, especially in Germany where artists such as Bonez MC and RAF Camora have been pushing the genre, however with a heavier lean towards dancehall than afrobeats.[200][201] The German variation of the genre has been criticized by Ghanaian Stallion for the lack of actual African influences, with the only thing remaining being a dancey rhythm.[202]

### Alté

[edit]

Main article: Alté

The late 2010s saw the emergence of a new commercially successful Nigerian genre, Alté, which fused a wide array of influences from Afrobeats, rap, R&B, soul, dancehall, and others.[203][204] The term was coined by DRB LasGidi member BOJ on his 2014 song "Paper", and was later used to describe left field styles of music. TeeZee explained the term saying "Alté is Nigerian lingo for 'alternative' which means freedom of expression essentially through any medium. It's been going on since the '60s as Africans always experimented with music. It became recognised as a style or genre from about 2012 upwards and it broke into the mainstream in 2016 with the rise of its new stars."[205] Other Alté artists and pioneers include Cruel Santino, Odunsi (The Engine), Zamir, Tems, Lady Donli, Nonso Amadi, Tay Iwar, 66ixx and Amaarae.[206][207][208]

## See also

[edit]

* Afrobeat
* Afroswing
* Bongo Flava
* Dancehall
* Hiplife
* Music of Ghana
* Music of Nigeria

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ This is also including Afroswing artists and songs.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Khan, Ahmad (21 September 2017). "A Conversation with the Queen of Afrobeats: Tiwa Savage". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
2. ^ a b c d e f g "Pop Music's Nigerian Future". The FADER. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The Evolution of Afropop". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
4. ^ a b c Adu-Gilmore, Leila (2015). "Studio Improv as Compositional Process Through Case Studies of Ghanaian Hiplife and Afrobeats". Critical Studies in Improvisation. 10 (2). doi:10.21083/csieci.v10i2.3555. ISSN 1712-0624.
5. ^ a b "Afropop Worldwide | Jesse Shipley, Part 1: Pan Africanism and Hiplife". Afropop Worldwide. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
6. ^ a b "Sound Culture Fest's Afro-Caribbean Rhythm Mission: 'This Goes Deep Into Roots'". www.villagevoice.com. September 2015. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
7. ^ a b Hancox, Dan (28 December 2013). "It's Called Afrobeats And It's Taking Over London". Vice. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019.
8. ^ Gilroy (1993). The Black Atlantic. Verso. p. 16\. ISBN 9780860916758.
9. ^ a b c d e f g h Scher, Robin (6 August 2015). "Afrobeat(s): The Difference a Letter Makes". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
10. ^ Drake. "Pop Music's Nigerian Future". Fader. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
11. ^ a b Osha, Sanya (31 March 2022). "2022 Grammys: what Fela Kuti has to do with West Africa's growing pop fame". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
12. ^ Al Jazeera Staff. "Q&A: Afrobeats is 'one of Africa's biggest cultural exports'". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
13. ^ "The story behind West Africa's huge musical export". Red Bull. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
14. ^ a b c d e Lakin Starling. "10 Ghanaian Afrobeats Artists You Need To Know". The Fader. Archived from the original on 4 June 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
15. ^ Hann, Michael (3 August 2016). "Lagos calling: Tony Allen opens up Nigeria's music scene". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
16. ^ a b Beta, Andy (19 August 2016). "Is this the year that African music will conquer the United States?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
17. ^ a b Jerry, Mary (10 July 2024), Afrobeats Is The Nigerian Sound Taking Over Pop Music, retrieved 10 July 2024
18. ^ Adegoke, Yinka (28 March 2019). "Warner Music is the latest major record label group to bet on Afrobeats". Quartz Africa. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
19. ^ Sfetcu, Nicolae (7 May 2014). The Music Sound. Nicolae Sfetcu. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
20. ^ Falola, Toyin; Genova, Ann (1 July 2009). Historical Dictionary of Nigeria. Scarecrow Press. p. 21. ISBN 9780810863163. "afrobeat instrumental-solos."
21. ^ Culshaw, Peter (15 August 2004). "Fela Kuti remembered". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
22. ^ McQuaid, Ian (8 August 2018). "Gateways – Tony Allen and Nigeria: From Afrobeat to Afrobeats". Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
23. ^ a b "FELABRATION 2017: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AFROBEAT AND AFROBEATS COME TO FORE AGAIN". The Nation Newspaper. 4 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
24. ^ "Afrobeats: From Nigeria to the world (press kit)" (PDF). Trace. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
25. ^ a b Stratton, Jon; Zuberi, Nabeel (15 April 2016). Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 9781317173892. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
26. ^ Laura Khamis. "8 Afrobeats collaborations linking the UK with Africa". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
27. ^ a b c d e Phillips, Yoh (6 February 2017). "WizKid Affiliate Mr Eazi's Journey From Tech Startup to Afrobeats Stardom". DJBooth. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
28. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Caspar Llewellyn (23 June 2012). "I'm with D'Banj". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
29. ^ a b "About Bristol Afrobeats". Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
30. ^ "Nigerian singer Wizkid on finding positivity amid brutality | Financi…". archive.is. 19 October 2020. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
31. ^ a b Hancox, Dan (19 January 2012). "The rise of Afrobeats". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
32. ^ Hancox, Dan (28 December 2013). "It's Called Afrobeats And It's Taking Over London". Vice. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
33. ^ Abrantee responds to "the Rise of Afrobeats" Guardian interview, 26 January 2012, archived from the original on 14 February 2017, retrieved 25 August 2019
34. ^ "Beyond The Diaspora: Exploring Wizkid's Afropop For The Masses". Clash Magazine. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
35. ^ a b "Call Us by Our Name: Stop Using "Afrobeats" - OkayAfrica". 2 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
36. ^ "After building Hip-Hop, Lyor Cohen wants to help Nigerian pop music grow". www.pulse.ng. 1 August 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
37. ^ "Wizkid, the Afropop Sensation, Unveils a Cool Merch Capsule in New York". Vogue. 13 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
38. ^ The UK has NO input in Afrobeats! Who cares about numbers/BURNA BOY tells it as it is #THEBEATACCESS, 3 October 2018, archived from the original on 7 May 2019, retrieved 24 August 2019
39. ^ "Rema Brags About His Sound, Calls It 'Afrorave' & The Next Big Thing « tooXclusive". 22 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
40. ^ "Rema: "People expect complex lyricism but let me grow – I'm a kid"". British GQ. 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
41. ^ a b "Yeni Kuti: Call it Nigerian Afropop not Afrobeats". Music In Africa. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
42. ^ Uwonkunda, Victoria (24 November 2012). "'D'Banj And P-Square Are NOT Afrobeat'". The Voice. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
43. ^ "GRANDPAPA'S TALES: Rockstone on Nightlife, Hiplife & His MANY LIVES". Proudly Ghanaian! | Enews. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
44. ^ "Gateways – Tony Allen and Nigeria: From Afrobeat to Afrobeats". The Guardian. 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
45. ^ "Here is a timeline of Nigerian music genres since 1960". Pulse Nigeria. 1 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
46. ^ "THE EVOLVING SOUNDS OF AFROBEATS". www.ambushdesign.com.
47. ^ "MATT HOUSTON FEAT. P-SQUARE - POSITIF (CHANSON)". lescharts.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
48. ^ "Matt Houston feat. P-Square – Positif". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
49. ^ Edu, D. J. (24 April 2014). "How Nigeria's Afrobeats are redefining the sound of Africa". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
50. ^ Mr. Eazi Talks African Pride In Home Grown Artists and Sound | SWAY'S UNIVERSE, 15 July 2019, archived from the original on 15 November 2019, retrieved 26 August 2019
51. ^ a b c d e f g Shipley, Jesse Weaver (2013). "Transnational circulation and digital fatigue in Ghana's Azonto dance craze: Transnational circulation and digital fatigue". American Ethnologist. 40 (2): 362–381. doi:10.1111/amet.12027.
52. ^ "Afrobeats – Vibble". vibble.co. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
53. ^ a b c d e "A history of Afropop dance crazes from Azonto to Kukere and everything in-between". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
54. ^ "Davido & HKN Gang SKELEWU Instructioinal Dance Video". African Muzik Magazine. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
55. ^ "Davido & HKN Gang SKELEWU Instructioinal Dance Video". Hiphopworldmagazine. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
56. ^ "Davido's Skelewu Competition! Watch Funny Videos Of Dancers In The Toilet, In The Office And In Super Skimpy Shorts!". Pulse Nigeria. 28 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
57. ^ "Afrobeats is the next UK hybrid dance music about to blow up". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. 18 May 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
58. ^ Burney, Lawrence (30 March 2017). "North London's Mazi Chukz Encompasses the West African Diaspora with "Gyaldem Sugar"". Vice. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019.
59. ^ a b "Afro B and Ian McQuaid on the ascent of UK Afrobeats". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. 29 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
60. ^ "MN2S Genre Focus: UK Afrobeats | Features". MN2S. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
61. ^ Ep 3: UK Afrobeats ft. Mista Silva & Skob Original - The Soundboy Session Podcast, 16 July 2019, archived from the original on 25 July 2020, retrieved 7 September 2019
62. ^ "Guru Defends 'Alkayida' Song/Dance - News Ghana". News Ghana. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
63. ^ Stephens, Alexis (6 September 2013). "You Too Can Learn How To Dance Azonto". Vice. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
64. ^ AdminTO (2 September 2016). "How Psquare became a big brand in Morocco — Omar Es Saidi, Moroccan radio personality". Tribune Online. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
65. ^ "P Square to headline the 14th Mawazine Festival in Morocco". Nigerian Entertainment Today. 2 March 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
66. ^ "Producer's Mavin group song 'Dorobucci' surpasses 20million Youtube views". www.pulse.ng. 20 July 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
67. ^ McQuaid, Ian (31 January 2014). "Fuse ODG: the Afrobeats trailblazer who's ready to blow". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
68. ^ a b c d McQuaid, Ian (24 March 2017). "why this is such an exciting time for the afrobeats scene in the uk". I-D. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
69. ^ Dazed (26 May 2018). "Why African and Caribbean sounds are dominating British music right now". Dazed. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
70. ^ "A Lesson In Afrobeats With DJ P Montana". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
71. ^ "Why Africa's Musicians Are a Marketing Goldmine". The Business of Fashion. 4 November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
72. ^ "Afrobeats is the Nigerian sound taking over pop music (Video)". African Business Central. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
73. ^ Houghton, Eddie "Stats" (2018). "How Dancehall-Inflected Is Drake's Album More Life, Really?". The Fader. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
74. ^ "Wizkid Set to Sign the Biggest Record Deal Ever By An African Artist". OkayAfrica. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
75. ^ "How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J". Complex. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
76. ^ "Wizkid makes history, enters Guinnes – TVC News Nigeria". 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
77. ^ "Juls reunites with Mr Eazi for new single 'Cake' | RWD". rwdmag.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
78. ^ a b Gijssel, Robert van (23 September 2017). "Afrobeats: je hoef het niet te begrijpen, als je de vibe maar pakt". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 August 2019.
79. ^ "Mr Eazi: The world must be listening to my music before I release an album". TheCable Lifestyle. 27 November 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
80. ^ a b c "Get to Know: Mr Eazi". www.mtv.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
81. ^ a b c "Total Cheat, Born One Virgins and a 'One Corner' madness – Top songs of 2017". www.ghanaweb.com. 15 December 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
82. ^ Kazeem, Yomi (28 March 2016). "The sound of young urban Africa is set to take over the world's pop charts". Quartz Africa. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
83. ^ a b Leight, Elias (16 July 2019). "Beyoncé's 'Lion King: The Gift' Suggests a New Direction — and a New Challenge". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
84. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (1 October 2017). "Wizkid review – Afrobeats star makes history at the Albert Hall". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
85. ^ Chiagoziem Onyekwena (27 January 2018). "Shaku Shaku: The origin and enablers of the viral street dance". Guardian Life. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
86. ^ "Here are 5 genres in Nigerian music you should be familiar with". www.pulse.ng. 30 October 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
87. ^ "Warner Music is the latest major record label group to bet on Afrobeats". African Business Central. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
88. ^ a b "Aya Nakamura". OKAYAFRICA's 100 WOMEN. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
89. ^ "French Rapper Niska Ruthlessly Flamed By Twitter For Double Pregnancies". HotNewHipHop. 3 August 2019. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
90. ^ "Top Singles (téléchargement + streaming)". SNEP - Syndicat Nation de l'Edition Phonographique. 1 November 2013. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
91. ^ "Aya Nakamura Teams Up With Afro B For New Remix Of DJADJA". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
92. ^ Aya Nakamura - Djadja (Clip officiel), 6 April 2018, archived from the original on 1 September 2019, retrieved 7 September 2019
93. ^ a b Konan, Aude (14 December 2018). "The Black Women Who Made Big Strides in France in 2018". Okay Africa. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
94. ^ Oyiri, Christelle. "Aya Nakamura is flipping France's rigid rules, beautifully". The Fader. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019.
95. ^ "Kanye's album title is accidentally leading fans to Burna Boy's "Ye"". The FADER. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
96. ^ "Kanye West's Album Title Has Unintentionally Boosted Burna Boy's 'Ye' Streams & We're Here For It". OkayAfrica. 5 June 2018. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
97. ^ Leight, Elias (26 July 2019). "Burna Boy Doesn't Care About Crossing Over, But It's Happening Anyway". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
98. ^ "Burna boy, Twice as Tall review: Western music's gatekeepers better make some space". The Telegraph. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
99. ^ "Burna boy Takes Citi Field". Rollingstone. 10 July 2023. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
100. ^ Mwendera, Karen (21 August 2019). "Mr Eazi On A Global Campaign To Mentor And Fund African Artists". Forbes Africa. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
101. ^ a b c Leight, Elias (16 July 2019). "Beyoncé's 'Lion King: The Gift' Suggests a New Direction — and a New Challenge". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
102. ^ BellaNaija.com (23 August 2016). "Another One! Pop Sensation Ayo Jay has Released 'Your Number' Remix feat. Chris Brown and Kid Ink". BellaNaija. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
103. ^ Breezy, Elle (23 August 2016). "Ayo Jay Releases 'Your Number (Remix)' Ft. Chris Brown & Kid Ink - Singersroom.com". Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
104. ^ "Wizkid Enlists Chris Brown for New Single "African Bad Gyal"". Hypebeast. 8 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
105. ^ "Swae Lee and Drake Share New Song "Won't Be Late": Listen". Pitchfork. 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
106. ^ "Swae Lee Responds to Joe Budden's Criticism of His Drake Collab "Won't Be Late"". Complex. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
107. ^ a b "How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J". Complex. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
108. ^ "GoldLink Just Wants to Make People Dance". PAPER. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
109. ^ "From Burna Boy To Tiwa Savage: The African Artists Featured On Beyoncé's 'The Lion King: The Gift'". Essence. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
110. ^ a b Leight, Elias (19 July 2019). "Inside Beyoncé's Bold Bet to Get Americans to Listen to African Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
111. ^ "WATCH: Davido & Chris Brown Drop Video For 'Blow My Mind' Collaboration". V 101.9 WBAV. 31 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
112. ^ "Davido, Chris Brown collabo Blow My Mind breaks YouTube". Music In Africa. 1 August 2019. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
113. ^ "No Nigerian song in Obama's summer playlist -- first time in three years". TheCable,Lifestyle. 10 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
114. ^ "85 to Africa: A Sweet chemistry". 24 August 2019. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
115. ^ "Davido features on Chris Brown's new single, 'Lower Body'". www.pulse.ng. 3 October 2019. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
116. ^ Magett, Sonya (24 October 2019). "East Coast, West Coast, Worldwide: Akon's Business Ventures Are Legend, but His New Music Enterprise Is One of His Most Boundary Breaking Yet". The Grapevine. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
117. ^ Osakwe, Chinekwu (24 April 2019). "By the Time 'Fall' Became Davido's Breakout Hit, He'd Forgotten About It Already". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
118. ^ Leight, Elias (20 January 2019). "Davido's 'Fall' Is Finally Catching On in the U.S., But It Should Be Bigger". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
119. ^ "Burna Boy Doesn't Care About Crossing Over, But It's Happening Anyway". www.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
120. ^ "Burna Boy". GRAMMY.com. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
121. ^ "WIZKID - COME CLOSER (FEAT. DRAKE)". RIAA. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
122. ^ "Wizkid's Starboy sees 'Soco' get certified gold in Canada". Pulse Nigeria. 8 October 2020. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
123. ^ "The BET Awards and Afrobeats". africasacountry.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
124. ^ "YouTube celebrates Afrobeats, extends support to fast-rising Nigerian artists". Pulse Nigeria. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
125. ^ "YouTube celebrates Afrobeats with Kizz Daniel, Reekado Banks, Simi, Teni". TheCable Lifestyle. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
126. ^ "First ever Official UK Afrobeats Chart to launch this week". www.officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
127. ^ Fakuade, Melinda (5 November 2020). "Davido on the Power of Afrobeats Music and Nigeria's #EndSARS Movement". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
128. ^ Akinwotu, Emmanuel (1 December 2020). "Nigerian pop star Davido: 'Africans were made fun of. Now everyone wants us'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
129. ^ "Burna Boy Addresses Police Brutality in Nigeria on New Song "20:10:20"". Pitchfork. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
130. ^ Burna Boy – 20 10 20, archived from the original on 15 December 2023, retrieved 15 December 2023
131. ^ Conteh, Mankaprr; C.J., Nelson (12 January 2022). "How Afrobeats is Making the World Listen". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
132. ^ "Davido's 'Fall' Becomes First Afrobeats Music Video to Hit 200m Views On YouTube, See His Epic Reaction » GhBase•com™". GhBase•com™. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
133. ^ "Davido's 'Fall' becomes first Afrobeats song to hit 200m YouTube views". TheCable Lifestyle. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
134. ^ "Wizkid, Essence and 'Afrobeats to the world'". Modern Ghana. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
135. ^ "Burna Boy Becomes First African Artist to Reach 100 Million Streams on Spotify". OkayAfrica. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
136. ^ "Rema's album Rave & Roses is a milestone for Afropop's second…". The Face. 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
137. ^ "Like Wizkid's 'Essence,' Ckay's 'Love Nwantiti' debuts on the Billboard Hot 100". Pulse Nigeria. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
138. ^ C.J, Nelson; C.J, Nelson (24 September 2021). "CKay's 'Love Nwantinti' Took Over TikTok -- But He's Only Now Getting Full Credit". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
139. ^ "In Talks With CKay: Storytelling Is Very Key For Me, I See My Music As A Diary". Mixtape Madness. 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
140. ^ "Wizkid ft Justin Bieber and Tems reach the Top ten of Hot 100". Twitter. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
141. ^ a b Aniftos, Rania (22 March 2022). "Billboard Teams Up With Afro Nation to Launch New U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
142. ^ Anderson, Trevor (10 March 2022). "After Six Months, Kodak Black's 'Super Gremlin' Ends Wizkid's 'Essence' Radio Domination". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
143. ^ "Everything you need to know about Afrobeats: a timeline". Official charts. 1 September 2023. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
144. ^ a b Dosunmu, Damilare (15 January 2024). "How Spotify helped turn Afrobeats into a global phenomenon". Rest of World.
145. ^ Denis, Kyle; Havens, Lyndsey; Lipshutz, Jason; Mamo, Heran; Unterberger, Andrew (13 June 2023). "How Did Rema & Selena Gomez's 'Calm Down' Become Afrobeats' Biggest Crossover Hit Yet?". Billboard. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
146. ^ "Rema: "People expect complex lyricism but let me grow – I'm a kid"". British GQ. 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
147. ^ "South Africa's Tyla makes historic Billboard Hot 100 debut with Water". BBC News. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
148. ^ "The Roots Of Azonto: Gafacci Talks". www.theransomnote.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
149. ^ "VIDEO: Joeboy talks his formula for success, Empawa100 and working with Mr. Eazi". The Sauce. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
150. ^ Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn; Fonseca, Anthony J. (1 December 2018). Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313357596. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
151. ^ "Disposables & Drip | Mr.Eazi". Flaunt Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
152. ^ a b "The talented Mr Eazi". Camden New Journal. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
153. ^ "Mr Eazi – The New Sound Of Africa". guardian.ng. 4 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
154. ^ "Nigerian Afrobeats, led by stars Burna Boy and WizKid, is poised for a world takeover". Kulture Hub. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
155. ^ a b "What Exactly Is Nigeria's New "Pon Pon" Sound?". OkayAfrica. 10 August 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
156. ^ a b "The 10 Songs That Define Nigeria's 'Pon Pon' Sound". OkayAfrica. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
157. ^ a b Olofintuade, Ayodele (4 September 2017). "You Need to Hear the Nigerian Sound That's Taking the World By Storm". Culture Trip. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
158. ^ "Krizbeatz Is Nigeria's 'King of New Wave'". OkayAfrica. 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
159. ^ Olabode, Otolorin (10 October 2018). "Otolorin Olabode: Wobey Sound Is Gradually Fading Away, But What Will Happen To Slimcase?". BellaNaija. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
160. ^ Staff, Daily Post (19 April 2023). "Top 6 Nigerian amapiano songs". Daily Post Nigeria. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
161. ^ "AFROPIANO: NIGERIA'S NEW SOUND INSPIRED BY AMAPIANO – GUAP – The Home Of Emerging Creatives". Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
162. ^ "From Afrobeats to Amapiano, is it time for Afropiano on the global stage?". The Africa Report.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
163. ^ "South Africa: Lojay and Sarz on the making of 'Monalisa' & their blend of Afrobeats and Amapiano". The Africa Report.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
164. ^ Cusson, Michael (29 March 2022). "Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
165. ^ "Lojay's Monalisa becomes Most Shazamed Afrobeats Song Globally". Cool FM - Your Number One Hit Music Station !. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
166. ^ a b Ogunyemi, Ifedayo (23 November 2021). "How I pioneered Afropiano sound with L.A.X's monster record 'GO LOW' ― Hit maker, Clemzy". Tribune Online. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
167. ^ "African Music: Afropiano and its Cultural Significance – CultureTree". Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
168. ^ "What You Need To Know About Niniola The Afro-House Queen". BET. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
169. ^ Daniels, Maisie (21 June 2021). "NINIOLA; THE QUEEN OF AFRO HOUSE". fword. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
170. ^ "NINIOLA | Niniola Takes Afro-House Worldwide On Colours And Sounds". Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
171. ^ Leight, Elias (27 February 2020). "Niniola Almost Quit Music. Now She's the Queen of Afro House". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
172. ^ Alexandra Simon (10 August 2018). "Caribbean spirit: Queens denizens celebrate Island culture". Caribbean Life. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
173. ^ a b "African music on a round trip—from Cotonou to Cuba and back". Nigerian Voice. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
174. ^ a b "How Soca Is Absorbing Afrobeats To Create A New Subgenre". The FADER. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
175. ^ a b c d "Red Bull Music Academy Daily". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
176. ^ a b Dixon, Bo-bie-Lee. "Is Afrosoca set to dominate?". www.guardian.co.tt. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
177. ^ "32 Songs You Need This Carnival Season". The FADER. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
178. ^ MacLeod, Erin (16 October 2015). "The playlist – reggae, dancehall and soca: Sanjay, Keznamdi, Bunji Garlin and more". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
179. ^ "How Shakira Marshall went from Lauryn Hill's backup dancer to afro soca star". NBC News. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
180. ^ a b Dazed (26 May 2018). "Why African and Caribbean sounds are dominating British music right now". Dazed. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
181. ^ "The best new Afro-Trap". The FADER. 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
182. ^ Dazed (26 May 2018). "Why African and Caribbean sounds are dominating British music right now". Dazed. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
183. ^ "Britain's New Guard in Hip-Hop Is Ready to Take Over". www.vulture.com. 21 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
184. ^ "The Best Afro Bashment Songs Of 2018 So Far". Capital XTRA. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
185. ^ Mokoena, Tshepo; Bernard, Jesse (4 January 2019). "Afroswing Is More Than a Trend". Vice. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
186. ^ "Steel Banglez is the London producer bringing U.K. rap to the pop charts". The FADER. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
187. ^ AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange | Bakosó: Afrobeats of Cuba | Season 13 | Episode 1305, archived from the original on 15 July 2021, retrieved 15 July 2021
188. ^ Leight, Elias (4 June 2021). "'Bakosó: AfroBeats of Cuba' Captures the Moment When Genres Collide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
189. ^ Kameir, Rawiya. "How African med students created a new genre of Cuban music". The Outline. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
190. ^ "This Documentary Charts the Birth of Bakosó, Cuba's Irresistible Take on Afrobeats". Remezcla. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
191. ^ Liberman, Dr Esther (11 April 2019). "Here's Why We Can't Wait to See the Film 'Bakosó Afrobeats de Cuba'". BeLatina. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
192. ^ Gonzales, Kate (9 May 2019). "Sacramento-Raised Filmmakers Introduce Bakosó Music To The World". Capital Public Radio. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
193. ^ "Que se llama Bakosó". Magazine AM:PM. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
194. ^ "Documenting Cuba's Afrobeats: A Movement in the Making". OkayAfrica. 18 February 2019. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
195. ^ a b "Musique : MHD, c'est la nouvelle star des ados" (in French). Le Parisien. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
196. ^ a b c Boinet, Carole; Doucet, David (19 April 2016). "Qui est MHD, le prince de l'afro-trap ?". Les Inrocks (in French). Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
197. ^ Amrani, Iman (5 June 2017). "MHD: 'So many French rappers are inspired by American hip-hop. I'm the opposite'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
198. ^ "MHD and France's "Afro Trap" Phenomenon". OkayAfrica. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
199. ^ "So There's This French African Rapper Named MHD, And He's Really Good". Stereogum. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
200. ^ "Afrobeats aus der Diaspora: der weltweite Siegeszug westafrikanischer Musik". Red Bull (in German). Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
201. ^ "MHD, France's Afro Trap King, on His Latest Album '19'". OkayAfrica. 27 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
202. ^ Raabe, Mathis (11 January 2019). "Afro-Trap in Alemania: Der Umgang mit Musik von Anderswo // Feature". JUICE Magazin (in German). Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
203. ^ "Alté, Nigeria's emancipated pop scene: 'People aren't used to being free'". The Guardian. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
204. ^ "DRB give an introduction to alté, the alternative sound of Nigeria". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
205. ^ "DRB give an introduction to alté, the alternative sound of Nigeria". Redbull. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
206. ^ "An introduction to Nigeria's innovative 'alté' scene". Dazed Digital. 5 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
207. ^ "DRB LasGidi: "Altê's not a genre, it's not a type of music, it's just being different."". The Face. 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
208. ^ "How Santi & the Alté Movement Are Pushing Nigerian Music Forward". DJBooth. 21 January 2019. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Music of Africa

Sovereign states|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with limited
recognition

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Dependencies and
other territories

* Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain)
* Madeira (Portugal)
* Mayotte / Réunion (France)
* Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)
* Western Sahara

* v
* t
* e

Africa articles

History|

| Chronology|

* Antiquity
* North Africa
* Archaeology
* Pre-colonial kingdoms
* Empires
* Sahelian
* Indian Ocean trade
* Bantu expansion
* Muslim conquest
* European exploration
* European colonisation
* Slavery
* Atlantic
* Barbary
* Indian Ocean
* Trans-Saharan
* Scramble for Africa
* Decolonisation

|

By topic|

* Economy
* Empires
* Historiography
* Military
* conflicts
* Science and technology

By region|

* Central
* East
* North
* South
* West

Geography|

* Countries and territories
* Highest points
* Impact craters
* Islands
* Natural history
* Regions
* Central
* East
* North
* South
* West
* Rivers

Politics|

* African Union
* Elections
* Democracy
* Heads of government
* Heads of state
* Human rights
* Freedom of religion
* LGBT rights
* Linguistic rights
* Women's rights
* feminism
* International organisations
* Pan-African Parliament
* Pan-Africanism
* Politics
* parties
* United States of Africa

Economy|

* Central banks
* Countries by GDP (nominal)
* Countries by GDP (PPP)
* Countries by HDI
* Billionaires
* Education
* Infrastructure
* Internet
* Natural resources
* Poverty
* Renewable energy
* Stock exchanges

Society|

* Abortion
* Birth control
* Caste systems
* Climate change
* Etiquette
* Health
* Languages
* Religion

Culture|

* Architecture
* Art
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Literature
* Africanfuturism
* Media
* Music
* Philosophy
* World Heritage Sites

Sport|

* Africa Cricket Association
* African Games
* Afro-Asian Games
* Australian-rules football
* Confederation of African Football
* FIBA Africa
* Rugby Africa
* Stadiums by capacity
* Tour d'Afrique

Demographics|

* Countries by population
* density
* Emigration
* Ethnic groups
* HIV/AIDS
* Life expectancy
* Urbanization
* cities
* urban areas
* Youth in Africa

By year|

* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020

* Outline
* Index

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

Genres of African popular music

* African blues
* desert blues
* African hip hop
* Algerian
* Gambian
* Ghanaian
* Ivorian
* Kenyan
* Boomba
* Genge
* Malawian
* Moroccan
* Mauritian
* Nigerian
* Nigerien
* Senegalese
* Hip hop galsen
* Tanzanian
* Bongo Flava
* Zenji flava
* Togolese
* Zimbabwean
* African reggae
* Nigerian reggae
* Seggae
* Zimdancehall
* Afrobeat
* Afrobeats
* Afro-rock
* African heavy metal
* Zamrock
* Afro-soul
* Alté
* Amapiano
* Ambasse bey
* Apala
* Assiko
* Azonto
* Bajourou
* Bantowbol
* Batuque
* Bend-skin
* Benga
* Bikutsi
* Cape jazz
* Chaabi
* Algerian
* Moroccan
* Chimurenga
* Colá
* Coladeira
* Congolese rumba
* Coupé-décalé
* Edo Funk
* Fuji
* Funaná
* Gnawa
* Gqom
* Highlife
* Burger-highlife
* Igbo highlife
* Hipco
* Hiplife
* Isicathamiya
* Jaiva
* Jit
* Jùjú
* Kadongo Kamu
* Kidandali
* Kizomba
* Kuduro
* Kwaito
* Kwela
* Logobi
* Madiaba
* Mahraganat
* Makossa
* Marabi
* Marrabenta
* Maloya
* Mbalax
* Mbaqanga
* Mbube
* Morna
* Moroccan pop
* Motswako
* Muziki wa dansi
* Ndombolo
* Njuup
* Odi Pop
* Palm-wine
* Raï
* Raï'n'B
* Sakara
* Salegy
* Santé engagé
* Sega
* Seggae
* Semba
* Shaabi
* Shangaan Electro
* Singeli
* Soukous
* Sudanese popular music
* Taarab
* Tabanka
* Wassoulou
* Zaley
* Ziglibithy
* Zimbabwean jazz
* Zoblazo
* Zouglou

* v
* t
* e

African electronic dance music

Genres|

| Central Africa|

* Kuduro

|

East Africa|

* Kidandali
* Singeli

Northern Africa|

Mahraganat

Southern Africa|

* Afro house
* Amapiano
* Gqom
* Kwaito
* Shangaan electro

West Africa|

* Afrobeats (Azonto)
* Coupé-décalé

See also|

* Afrobeat
* Hiplife

* v
* t
* e

Black British people topics

Black British
history|

* First Africans in London
* Atlantic slave trade
* Abolitionism
* Empire Windrush
* Windrush scandal
* Bristol Bus Boycott
* Race Relations Act 1965
* Decline and legacy of the British Empire
* Race riots

Black British
culture|

* Music
* Afrobeats
* Afroswing
* Britfunk
* British hip hop
* Ska
* Caribbean
* Lovers rock
* Grime
* UK garage
* Dubstep
* Jungle
* Drum and bass

Civic and economic
groups|

* Black and Asian Studies Association
* Black Equity Organisation
* Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor
* National Black Police Association

Ethnic and national
sub-divisions|

* African-Caribbean
* Antiguan and Barbudan
* Barbadian
* Jamaican
* Guyanese
* Montserratians
* Trinidadian and Tobagonian
* Congolese
* Ghanaian
* Ivorian
* Kenyan
* Nigerian
* Sierra Leonean
* Tanzanian
* Ugandan
* Zimbabwean
* Other black groups

Languages|

* British English
* Multicultural London English

Lists|

* Black Britons

* v
* t
* e

Music of the United Kingdom

Art music|

* Early music
* England
* Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* Baroque
* Classical

History of popular music|

* Early popular music
* 1950s
* 1960s
* 1970s
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s and 2010s

Traditional genres|

* British folk revival
* Ballad
* Carol
* Children's song
* Hornpipe
* Jig
* Morris dance
* Protest song
* Reel
* Sea shanty
* Strathspey
* War song
* Work song

Contemporary
popular genres|

* Afrobeats
* Afroswing
* Americana
* Country
* Folk
* England
* Scotland
* Wales
* Grime
* Hip Hop
* Drill
* Jazz
* Pop
* Popular
* Rock
* Soul
* Schlager

Ethnic music|

* Caribbean
* England
* Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

Media and
performance|

| Music awards|

* BBC Music Awards
* BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
* Brit Awards
* Classic Brit Awards
* Global Awards
* Gramophone Classical Music Awards
* Ivor Novello Awards
* Kerrang! Awards
* Mercury Prize
* MOBO Awards

|

Music charts|

* Albums chart
* Classical charts
* Compilation chart
* Dance chart
* Download chart
* Indie chart
* R&B chart
* Rock chart
* Singles chart
* Subscription plays chart

Music festivals|

* Boomtown
* C2C: Country to Country
* Cambridge Folk
* Download
* Edinburgh
* Eisteddfod
* Glastonbury
* Isle of Wight
* Knebworth
* Royal National Mòd
* The Proms
* Reading and Leeds
* Sidmouth
* T in the Park
* V

Music media|

* fRoots
* The Gramophone
* Kerrang!
* Melody Maker
* Mojo
* NME
* Q
* The Wire

National anthem|

* "God Save the King"

Regional music|

| British Isles|

* Birmingham (Classical music, Jazz, Popular music)
* Cardiff
* Cornwall
* Liverpool
* Manchester
* Newport
* Northumbria
* Somerset
* Sussex
* Yorkshire

|

Overseas|

* Anguilla
* Bermuda
* Cayman Islands
* Gibraltar
* Montserrat
* Turks and Caicos
* Virgin Islands

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template