Afrobeats – the umbrella term for a range of modern dance music genres from West Africa – is facing an uncertain period after a decade of seemingly unstoppable global success.
In 2016, the genre began to break into the international pop scene, driven by collaborations like Wizkid and Drake’s “Come Closer.” At the time, student Olabode Otolorin wrote enthusiastically about Afrobeats’ potential. Today, as part of the Mavin Records label, he acknowledges a more somber reality: “The state of our exports is delicate.”
The same concern is shared by singer Omah Lay, who openly admitted during an event in Lagos that “Afrobeats is falling in international markets.” According to him, the sound that dominated between 2020–2024 no longer has the same power.
On the other hand, some younger artists remain optimistic, while others, according to journalist Melody Ifeanyi Adigo, are "simply trying to survive in this difficult period."
Afrobeats peaked after the pandemic, especially in 2021–2023, when songs like Wizkid’s “Essence,” CKay’s “Love Nwantiti,” Burna Boy’s “Last Last,” and Rema’s “Calm Down” dominated global platforms and social media. At the time, the genre seemed unstoppable.
But according to artist Joeboy, his impact was not just economic: "Afrobeats made the world interested in our culture, the way we live and how we dress."
Today, however, the picture is bleaker. Many artists report reduced marketing budgets, fewer international tours and a lack of hits on the US charts following the success of “Calm Down.” Even collaborations with foreign artists are no longer having the same effect as before.
According to industry experts, one of the reasons is the changing behavior of the global market and the shift of attention towards other genres. Others point out that the period of Afrobeats' explosion was also helped by the pandemic and the growth of the African diaspora in the West, factors that have now weakened.
Musically, the genre is also going through a phase of experimentation, moving away from the influence of amapiano and seeking new sounds. This has brought fragmentation and uncertainty to the music industry.
Despite this, many within the scene are not talking about decline, but about reorganization. New artists from the underground scene are gaining attention, while festivals in Lagos are giving space to new names alongside established stars.
According to some industry leaders, Afrobeats is not disappearing, but entering a phase of reinvention. As one of them puts it: “We are going back to basics. And from there, everything can start again.” /GazetaExpress/
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