Afrobeats to The World.
A phrase that gives man joy.
My music travel no visa,
Oya, ask your sister.
She no fit say she no know me,
You feel the beat, you go down low.
Afrobeats is a captivating blend of dancehall, house, and hip-hop, with its root connected to highlife and Jùjú music. Created by the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, this genre has gone on to become one of the most loved sounds in the world. The desire of the international audience to listen to something fresh and new, made a crew of young musicians from Nigeria set up the Hottest Coalition of Nigerian DJs in 2006, and the goal was to promote the kind of music that was popular in West Africa at the time. The 2010s saw the rise of a new musical movement out of Nigeria with a completely different sound and is the period where Afrobeats grew an identity.
The spread of the Afrobeats gospel to the diaspora communities in the world can be traced to D’Banj’s 2012 hit single ‘Oliver Twist’, which debuted at number nine on the UK Singles charts. This marked D’banj’s first chart appearance and the first Nigerian song to debut on the chart. It was probably the first time the sound really took hold in the UK.
At the moment, Afrobeats is going global and it’s getting the recognition it deserves. This is evident from Afrobeats songs charts such as the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart and the newly created Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Charts. The world is listening and they can’t get enough of this sound. International artistes have affirmed the fact that they are infusing Afrobeats into their music with Beyonce’s ‘Water’ from The Lion King album being a prime example.
However, we cannot talk about the successful rise of Afrobeats to the world, without giving credit to the artistes that have shown their expertise in the game, thereby putting us on the map. It’s fair to say that Nigerian artistes have played a huge role in exporting the genre so it’s no surprise that the Nigerian music scene is taking a lead in Africa and has become a worldwide wave.
From recording in the little studios scattered around Lagos to performing on the biggest stages across the world, these artistes have shown that nothing is unattainable when you put your mind to it. Over the years, there have been various collaborations between our indigenous artistes and their international colleagues, and we can say these collaborations helped in getting a wider range of audiences for Afrobeats. These are some of the collaborations that prove that Nigerian artistes are the in-thing.
1. D’banj ft Snoop Dogg - Mr Endowed Rmx
This was the collaboration we didn’t know we needed 11 years ago. Some have even argued that D’banj was the first Afrobeats artiste to release a big hit featuring a mainstream international artiste. The day wasn’t complete without radio stations and Tv stations airing this hit single. From the bars to the beats to the Sesan-directed video, this hit song was clearly ahead of its time. In fact, it revolutionized music videos in Nigeria. It’s been over a decade and people still go crazy whenever this song comes on, no matter the location.
2. P-Square ft Akon - Chop My Money
Life was good when P-Square dropped the maddest collab with Akon and MayD, and all we wanted was for someone to ‘chop our money’. Remember that year after getting scolded for “misplacing the change” from the errand you were sent. You silently chuckle at the fact that you are saving the change, so you can buy candy and rose for your babe because P-square inspired you to. This song proved to be a monster hit as it sat on charts for weeks while also serving as the rich lover boy anthem before the birth of sapa.
3. Davido ft Meek Mill - Fans Mi
Davido went from not having money in his bank account to paying $200,000 to feature American rapper, Meek Mill on this song. Everyone anticipated the release of this song, and it definitely created a buzz on the internet. This feature set Davido back some dollars but turned out to be a good investment. The record got OBO a lot of international listeners and went on to become one of the biggest hits that year.
4. Wizkid ft Skepta and Drake - Ojuelegba Rmx
From Mo’Dogg’s small studio in Ojuelegba, the world got to hear Wizkid’s story. The original version was one of the hit singles off Wizkid’s 2014 ‘Ayo’ album, and it proved to be a solid joint. The hit track which became the national anthem of the Fc is pivotal in the growth of Wizkid’s career. The original was so big that American artiste Drake, invited Wizkid to London to record the remix. This song showcased their superb chemistry and resulted in a Wizkid feature on Drake’s summer 2016 bop ‘One Dance’ which topped the charts for an astonishing 15 weeks. The following year, Wizkid recruited Drake on his smash hit ‘Come Closer’, a song where Starboy made it clear that he is number one.
5. JAE5 ft Skepta and Rema - Dimension
UK record producer JAE5 featured new-school rave, Rema on this one and we can’t help but sing along whenever the beat drops. The song was released in 2021 and it has been doing well so far. This collaboration even got Rema featured on the FIFA 22 soundtrack. From the immaculate production to Skepta’s hard verses and Rema’s otherworldly sound, this song is pure perfection. The ‘Dumebi’ singer used this opportunity to let the world know that he’ll keep giving us the vibe till the kingdom comes and what better proof than his recently released album, ‘Rave and Roses’.
6. Dave ft Burna Boy - Location
Burna joined Dave on this one to produce the official 2019 summer anthem. Off Dave’s 2019 ‘Psychodrama’ album, this track became one of Dave’s biggest tracks to date, reaching the top 10 in the UK and top 40 in Ireland. The smash-hit secured a feature on the FIFA 21 tracklist and was certified 3x platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for exceeding 1,800,000 chart sales in April 2020. We already know that whatever Burna touches turns into gold, all you have to do is send him the location and he will be right there.
7. Tiwa ft Brandy - Somebody’s Son
After the release of the ‘Water and Garri’ EP, Tiwa posted footage of herself and Brandy grooving to the greatness they created on the fourth track of the EP, titled ‘somebody’s son’. Tiwa enlisted Brandy’s aid to create the official lover girl anthem which eventually went viral across various platforms, including TikTok which gave the song even more success. Everyone caught the Somebody’s Son fever and it got the singles singing the chorus with passion. The success of this hit did not end there though, as it got Tiwa an invite to perform at the Google Africa first-ever virtual event.
8. Fireboy ft Ed Sheeran - Peru Rmx
Who would have thought ginger-haired British sweetheart, Ed Sheeran would be on an Afrobeats song speaking Yoruba one day? There were some reservations when the news of the feature hit the internet and fans were skeptical about the compatibility of both artistes, but I guess the unexpected combinations always hit the hardest. After the success of the original single, which reached number one on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, Fireboy reached out to Ed Sheeran for a remix. So far, the song has gone platinum in the UK and Gold in the USA after selling over 600,000 and 500,000 units respectively.
9. Wizkid ft Tems and Justin Bieber - Essence Rmx
Justin Bieber definitely prayed for this moment, to be featured on the song of the summer. The original song was included in Spotify’s Song of the Summer playlist and also graced Barack Obama’s favorite songs of 2020 playlist. Mutay’s brother and partner in Legendury Beatz, Uzezi Oniko believes that “Essence” is bigger than us and it serves a purpose for the whole genre. He also believes that with Justin on the remix, it’s taken the palette of Afrobeats way, way broader. The success of the remix affirms Uzezi’s stance. The song maintained its #1 spot on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart for 12 weeks, making it the first time an African song peaked for so long. The hit song also moved up to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Wizkid the first African artiste to have a song on the Top 10 Billboard chart. The original isn’t doing bad either as it got certified double platinum in the US, and it was also nominated for the Best Global Music Performance at the Grammys. You don’t need no other body to tell you that Big Wiz came into the game, and no one can replace him.
10. Omah Lay ft Justin Bieber - Attention
Omah Lay reunited with Justin to release this smash hit, after previously dropping his vocals on “Peaches” remix by Masterkraft. Justin Bieber took another ride on the Afrobeats wave with this collaboration which is Omah Lay’s debut single for the year and we love to see it. With 11 million views on YouTube, this tune definitely got a lot of attention from Afrobeats lovers.
Apart from collaborations, we have had songs that cracked into the diaspora music scene. An honorable mention is CKay’s breakthrough into the international scene, thanks to his song ‘Love Nwantiti’ which went viral on TikTok and became the most shazamed song in the world. As one of the biggest Afrobeats songs, it also peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Global 200. The hit song was certified Gold in the UK, USA, and France. CKay has been on a roll, more like a rolling stone because there is nothing stopping him now. His latest milestone is his performance at the Coachella.
It is indisputable that Afrobeats has spread its tentacles spread into the world, and talking about the growth of Afrobeats never gets boring because there are several events to pinpoint the success of the genre.
Some of the notable events are:
- Wizkid’s Royal Albert Hall show
After his successful entry into the international music scene, Wizkid became the first African artiste to headline a sold-out show at the venue. In 2017, he joined the list of famous people to sell out the hall. “The Guardian” described this feat as a significant step in the internationalization of Afrobeats.
2. Davido’s O2 show
In 2019, Davido became the second Nigerian artiste to sell out the O2. The night was definitely one to remember as Davido performed hit after hit to a gingered crowd.
3. Wizkid’s iconic O2 success
From being the first African to sell out the O2 in 2018, Big Wiz pulled a big flex in 2021 by selling out the O2 for 3 straight nights during his Made in Lagos tour. Wizkid FC savored the Big Wiz goodness for 3 nights! Essence warriors, Superstar album stans… everyone got served. This achievement got the FC bragging for weeks. Na why we dey call am G.O.A.T.
4. Burna boy’s Grammy performance
Let’s talk about how African Giant paved the way for Afrobeats at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020 through a nomination for Best World Music Album which he didn’t win. Burna came back stronger, dropped the Twice as Tall album, and Afrobeats eventually had its big moment at the 2021 Grammy Awards when the album was named Best Global Music Album. Burna boy also performed to close out the awards premiere ceremony, to the admiration of the audience at the 63rd Grammy awards in 2021.
5. Burna boy at the Madison Square Garden
Grammy award winner Burna boy progressed from being the first African to sell out the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on the 14th of April 2022, where he was also presented with a plaque by the facility management after the successful show to applaud his impressive feat, to selling out the Madison Square Garden in New York, on 28th of April 2022. Outsiders definitely savored the moment and enjoyed every bit of being outside on this night. Burna boy has headlined shows at the top busiest arenas such as the O2, Madison Square Garden, Manchester Arena, and Ziggo Dome. You see this sold out thing? Efile fun Burna.
Afrobeats is like a religion and it’s not going extinct any time soon. This tweet describes the goodness of Afrobeats as we look forward to more wins for Afrobeats.
At the mention of Afrobeats, I know some of your faves come to mind and you will use your last breath to defend them and argue that they are the greatest Afrobeats artiste of our time. However, all our artistes have their various roles in the growth of the genre and I say we should be grateful and appreciate the greatness right in front of us. An authentic 21st Century sound has gone global, and I dare say that this is only the beginning.
