Will Nigeria leave Afrobeats behind?

What in the World

Afrobeats originated in Nigeria and Ghana, starting to get popular in the 2010s. It’s generally seen as a blend of West African music styles with Western pop and rap.

Artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Rema, and Davido have gone global. TikTok and Youtube have played a big part in the genre’s popularity, so have collabs with people like Beyonce and Drake.

But some are turning away from Afrobeats. Burna Boy has said ‘there’s no substance’ to the genre, even though it’s ‘an amazing time’. Wizkid has said he doesn’t want to be labelled as ‘just Afrobeats’ and that he makes more genres of music. And Davido has said he prefers to be called Afrofusion. So what next?

Our BBC pal Faith Oshoko takes us through what the music scene is like in Lagos and and some of the history behind Afrobeats.

We also chat to Candy Bleakz, a rapper in Nigeria. She’s made Afrobeats tracks and is the only woman in the Street Pop genre. We sit down and chat through her inspirations and hopes for her music career and why people in Lagos make such good music.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Alex Rhodes and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde