Afrobeats currently going through purge, returning to real music – Joeboy
Joeboy: Afrobeats Undergoing Renaissance
LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian singer Joeboy has stated that Afrobeats is currently experiencing a renaissance, as the genre seeks to eliminate what he describes as “adulterated music.”
During a sold-out Valentine’s Day performance in Lagos, Joeboy emphasized a return to “real music” within Afrobeats, asserting that “wack music no longer has a place” in the genre.
“Afrobeats right now is going through a purge,” he said. “We are getting back to the times where real music is going to stay — no more gimmicks and all of that. I can feel it already, and I am happy that we are getting back to those zones where the music speaks. I thank God for that.”
Recent years have seen the Nigerian music industry undergo a significant transformation. At the start of the 2020s, Afrobeats became heavily fused with other genres, particularly South Africa’s Amapiano, as well as American hip-hop and R&B. This trend prompted critics to advocate for a return to “original Afrobeats,” arguing that the fusion often intended to appeal to a global audience had diluted the genre’s authenticity.
The landscape began to shift in 2024 when several Nigerian artists revived “real Afrobeats,” reducing the influence of Amapiano in their sound.
Many enthusiasts of Nigerian music view this trend as a positive development, though they acknowledge that fully restoring Afrobeats to its original essence may take time.
