The West African music genre known as Afrobeats has developed a tremendous global following, and it has catapulted numerous African artists to stardom. In the process, however, the styles of many of these artists have evolved beyond the confines of Afrobeats, resulting in many of them feeling limited by the term. On a much more general scale, this select but impactful push back against Afrobeats also stems from the plain fact that there’s no spiritual connection between the term and the music it’s supposed to represent. To be astute, Afrobeats, particularly within the context of this conversation, is Nigerian pop, a playground that melds and bends influence with a distinct Nigerian flair. But to call it Nigerian pop means music from every country on the continent has to be specifically accounted for, which goes against the frictionless grain of Afrobeats, which lumps everything from Africa and its diaspora into a catchall term.
