Grammy-nominated musician Seun Kuti has offered a different perspective on the global rise of Afrobeats, insisting it should not be regarded as a genre of music.
Speaking in an interview with The Beat 99.9 FM, Lagos, Kuti argued that Afrobeats is more of a label used to group diverse African sounds under one umbrella rather than a clearly defined musical style.
“I think Afrobeats is more of a title than a genre,” he explained. “You can see Amapiano is now the new Afrobeats—it has become the latest tag. Afrobeats is basically a generalisation, just a way to identify music from Africa.”
He added that even the industry’s biggest names and executives do not treat Afrobeats as a genre. According to him, most artists move fluidly between styles:
“An Afrobeats artist can release a dancehall track today, a blues track tomorrow, then a Nigerian pop song, or even jump on Amapiano. They follow what’s trending, so it’s not structured like a genre. It’s simply a title.”
Kuti’s comments ongoing debates about Afrobeats’ identity, especially as it continues to gain global attention and recognition at award shows and festivals