Tyla’s win for “Best Afrobeats” at the 2024 VMAs should have been a celebration—but instead, it sparked a conversation. During her acceptance speech, the South African artist made it clear: “This is so special but bittersweet. There’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats… I come from South Africa. I represent Amapiano. I represent my culture.”
Her statement was a bold rejection of the genre she was awarded for. And it raised an important question: What does the future of Afrobeats look like, as artists from across Africa push back against being boxed into one category?
With its worldwide dominance, Afrobeats has become a badge of honour for Nigerian artists and African music as a whole. Last year, the VMAs made history by introducing the “Best Afrobeats” category, and this year’s continuation only cemented Afrobeats’ global reach.
Nominees included Ayra Starr ft. Giveon– ‘Last Heartbreak Song’, Burna Boy- ‘City Boys’, Chris Brown ft Davido & Lojay- ‘Sensational,’ Tems – ‘Love Me Jeje,’ Tyla-‘Water,’ and Usher ft Pheelz — ‘Ruin,’ showing the genre’s wide appeal. But for those deeply rooted in the African music scene, the nomination of South African artist Tyla—an Amapiano act—in the Best Afrobeats category, raised eyebrows. And it’s not the first time Afrobeats has found itself at the center of a genre identity crisis.
During her speech, Tyla expressed her gratitude for the recognition, while also clarifying the distinct difference between her music–Amapiano and Afrobeats.
“The global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too. This is so special but bittersweet because I know there is a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats… African music is so diverse. It is more than just Afrobeats,” she said.
Tyla’s comments echoed the sentiments of many African artists who feel that African music—despite its diversity—is often grouped into a single genre by the global music industry.
Do2dtun, a Nigerian OAP, took to Twitter (now X) to voice his criticism, further fanning the flames of this debate. “A few selfish ones renamed an established genre to satisfy their paymasters. Yet again, you see why it’s best to let the originators be allowed to educate the world. If Tyla thought she was categorised in a wrong category, she should have given the award back or denounced the nomination. She clearly took an award that didn’t represent her sound, Tyla winning Best Afrobeat song is a miss in my opinion.”
The uproar continued online with fans believing that Tems who shot to global stardom through her collaboration with Wizkid on “Essence,” and was nominated in the same category for her track “Love Me JeJe,” a song that samples the Nigerian classic by Seyi Sodimu featuring legendary actress Shaffy Bello was more deserving of the award. The song, released just five months ago, quickly became a hit, peaking at number three on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart and number five on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, and Tems has been a key figure in pushing Afrobeats to new heights while maintaining her unique sound of Afrobeats, R&B, and soul.
The International explosion of Afrobeats especially through icons like Burna Boy and Wizkid, has brought it to the mainstream, but it’s also led to oversimplification of the sound. South African artists like Tyla, who belong to other genres like Amapiano, have now found themselves lumped under the Afrobeats umbrella due to the global fascination and a complete lack of understanding of the genre.
Burna Boy, for instance, has consistently pushed the boundaries of Afrobeats. His latest album, I Told Them, blends Afrobeat rhythms with American influences, particularly hip-hop, showcasing his Afrofusion sound that transcends traditional genre labels. Wizkid, on the other hand, has leaned heavily into R&B, sparking conversations about the future of Afrobeats—whether it will continue to be rooted in its Nigerian identity or evolve into something more universal.
Rema, another prominent Nigerian artist, recently voiced his concerns about the state of Afrobeats at his ‘HE IS,’ album release party, arguing that artists need to take ownership of the genre to prevent it from being watered down. At his album listening party in London, he said, “Afrobeats was getting boring, so I had to switch it up. We have to take our sh*t back, own it, and protect it. The more we water it down, the easier we make it for others to take it from us.”
Rema also noted that Afrobeats was becoming too influenced by external forces. “With the success that has come to Afrobeats, I feel like we are listening to the voices of the world too much, ignoring the voices back home, we need to reclaim the space.”
As Afrobeats continues to grow, it is facing an identity crisis. The genre’s mainstream success has led to increasing mislabeling, particularly with artists like Tyla, whose music belongs to an entirely different genre. However, this global attention also offers an opportunity for African artists to broaden the narrative about what African music truly is. Afrobeats may have opened the doors, but Tyla’s win, while controversial, highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the rich diversity in African sounds, and her speech serves as a reminder that African music is much more than one genre
The future of Afrobeats, however, depends on how well African artists maintain ownership of their narratives and sounds, without letting the world dictate what African music should be. As Rema aptly warned, “Until some foreigners start winning Afrobeats awards, we’ll then realise we’ve indirectly sold ourselves.”
Read more Music articles from KLATMAG
Written by Angel Joanne Okonkwo
