Afrobeats: A week of wins, diss and kittens
An eventful 7 days in the Nigerian music industry culminated into a war among fanbases and an increased global recognition for Afrobeats.
It’s been a minute, innit? Well, let’s just say vacation got the better of your favourite Afrobeats newsletter but our batteries are well-recharged now and there’s no better place to start than the events in the past couple of weeks in the music space.
The war of cats
Davido, speaking during an interview, discussed the growth of Afrobeats, lauding Wizkid and himself as the old cats who first hit the limelight before new cats such as Burna Boy… Odogwu FC didn’t wait to hear other artistes such as Fireboy, Asake and Mayorkun whom OBO mentioned before they started fuming and raging.
Many critics were also been dragged into the fight as netizens took sides on whether Davido was right with his bold claim. Arguments in favour of Burna Boy were that he’s been dropping hits since 2013 when he released his first album, L.I.F.E.
Those against the Grammy-winning singer said he became a superstar in 2018 and while he may have attained peaks that Davido is yet to get to, Davido remains the old cat he claims he is.
AfroDives’ stand? Everybody will be alright las las.
Seyi Vibez shines with new album
After one of the most controversial buildups to an album release including a diss with Zinoleesky, Seyi Vibez answered critics in the best way possible with his 10-track Vibe Till Thy Kindgom Come project.
The LP, to a large extent, answers the doubts of versatility that have always hung on Oluwaloseyi Balogun’s craft. He delves into a lot of styles and tempos while maintaining his signature flow.
His collaboration with Young Jonn on Suddenly and Gangsta remix easily stand out while his Fuji interlude tells us what we already know - a generation of ‘neo-Fuji stars’ which could be traced from the likes of LKT, Dammy Krane, down to Portable, Asake and Seyi Vibez himself.
Burna Boy’s big win in Istanbul
And while Burna Boy might not have featured on Vibe Till Thy Kingdom Come tracklist, his validation was evident, especially on Blacka Rhythm track as Seyi Vibez included Burna’s comment during his January concert that he would gone home if not for Seyi’s persuasion, perhaps to highlight his (Seyi) growing influence with the biggest pop stars.
Burna’s influence on Afrobeats landscape couldn’t be more evident as he performed during the opening show of the 2023 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul on the back of selling out a stadium in London. Fans who regard him as Afrobeats’ biggest music star certainly feel justified.
New Grammy category for ‘African Music’
To round off a big week for Afrobeats, the Recording Academy announced three new categories, one of which was Best African Music Performance.
This means higher chances for African music stars to bag a Grammy and that the Grammys are taking Afrobeats more seriously. With the exploits that Afrobeats artistes are making, there is no limit to the heights pop music from Africa can reach.
Asake’s performance at Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, Burna Boy’s Last last gospel and Davido’s Unavailable global trend have been shortlisted by fans but it’ll be interesting to see which other artistes join Burna and Wizkid as Grammy winners from this current crop.
Well done 👍