Imagine heavy drums, legs bouncing, head nodding – this is what takes over when listening to Afrobeats. The category of music has been around since earlier than 2009 and is only growing in listeners in recent years. Back then, Afrobeats music was spread throughout YouTube, Facebook, or you’d have to attend weddings and a dance hall to hear the new hits. But now it’s played on the radio!
“We’ve been waiting for the globalisation of Afrobeats, and it’s happening now,” said Ayra Starr, a Nigerian singer and songwriter, speaking to the BBC ahead of her Glastonbury performance. “But it’s not just what you’re seeing today. It’s years and generations of musicians and hard work that’s made it what it is now.”
Afrobeats is a category of Afrocentric music coming from nations such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. Before its rise of streams in America, artists such as Diamond Platnumz, Alikiba, Davido and Tiwa Savage, had their rise to fame in Afrobeats. Songs made by these artists from almost 16 years ago averaging to 10+ million streams now on YouTube.
Popular apps in America like TikTok help these artists continue to grow in listeners and exposure in this generation. “Emiliana” by Ckay was released on Dec. 3, 2021 and blew up on TikTok and Instagram reels shortly after its release and advertisement. Videos on TikTok reached thousands of views, similar to his other single “Love Nwantiti” released on Valentine’s Day, which skyrocketed to a billion views.
Dami Ajayi, a Nigerian writer, poet, and medical doctor, said, “Early on, it was the Nigerian musicians that were begging and maybe paying and, you know, trying to get into getting collaborations. But at this point now, it looks like it’s the American musicians who are trying to collaborate with them because they also want to be woke.”
The music is soul touching. You don’t need to understand Afrobeats to jam or feel the beat. All the artists listed here, and many more, creating music in the Afrobeats category are not only creating history, but giving a place for their people through music.
If you’ve never heard of Afrobeats, here are some song examples from both eras and you can hear for yourself which sound you prefer.