To put it in simple terms, it’s been a really great year for Afrobeat. The irresistible genre that was born in the suburbs of Southern Nigeria managed to find its way to the heart of many across the globe. The year saw the emergence of brilliant artists across the continent with several singles, EP’s, and albums attaining both critical and commercial success. As we wrap up the year, it’s only fair to do a solid recap on the most notable events in the world of Afrobeats.
On January 26, 2020, Burna Boy became the fifth Nigerian to be nominated for a Grammy award but like the artists preceding the Port Harcourt-born star, he came out unfruitful. Just a year after he lost out, he was nominated again and became the first Nigerian to get back-to-back nominations and also the first to pick up the prestigious award.
The night also saw fellow Nigerian star Wizkid cart away with a Grammy after his collaboration with Beyonce on “Black Skin Girl” won the award for the Best Music Video. This became a major turning point for Afrobeats but who knew that this was just a stepping stone and the year had more to offer the genre.
It is almost impossible to talk about Afrobeats this year and leave out the legendary Wizkid. The Nigerian singer was vital in the genre’s success with his hit track “Essence” doing wonders across the globe. Wizkid released Essence in October 2020 as part of his fourth studio album Made in Lagos and barely a year after the song’s release, it became the first African song to reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, it also became the first African song to be certified platinum in the US. Canadian singer, Justin Beiber was a huge fan of the song and personally called Wizkid to ask for a remix. Prompting the song to peak at number 9, this was a premier and very huge moment for Afrobeats and Africa as a whole.
Wizkid didn’t stop there as he went on to break further records by selling out the prestigious 20,000 capacity O2 Arena in London. This was huge for an Afrobeats artist as it was a feat that not many UK artists could boast of. To round the year off, the Ojuelegba crooner earned himself a double nomination at the Grammy’s becoming the first Afrobeats artist to achieve this.
If you are active on TikTok, YouTube, or basically any social media platform that allows video sharing, then you must have heard the highly catchy “ah ah ah ah ah” tune in videos or short clips. The hit song “Love Nwantiti” was released in August 2019 by Nigerian singer Ckay but had to wait for two long years before it achieved substantial success. The wait was however worth it as the song grew to become one of Africa’s biggest hits. The song became the first African and Afrobeats song to top the YouTube world charts, you can learn more about the song here.
Ghanian singers Amaarae and Moliy proved that the genre wasn’t for men or Nigerians alone as they became the first female Afrobeat artists to make it to the Billboard Hot 100 Charts with their single “Sad Girlz Love Money”. The song became a TikTok sensation and an international hit after the remix with Kali Uchis, going on to chart in over 20 countries worldwide(Including Canada and UK, a rare feat in the genre). Ghanian star Gyakie also saw a huge boost in her career after she was signed to the Sony Music Group Africa and RCA UK Music. This was after her hit single “Forever” with Nigerian star Omah Lay made it to the Billboard’s 'Top Triller Global' chart and ruled for a week.
The Afrobeat wave was so hot this year that literally everyone wanted a taste of it, even Drake. The Toronto-born artist became a huge fan of the genre and featured Nigerian star Tems on track 16 of his highly anticipated 6th studio album.
Femi Kuti and Made Kuti, son and grandson of Afrobeats Pioneer Fela Kuti were also in the global spotlight this year. The release of their two-album projects Legacy+ was one of the year’s highlights with the piece earning the father and son duo a deserved Grammy nomination. The year had lots of talking points that had a significant impact on the genre. Joeboy’s album Somewhere Between Beauty and Magic did wonders in streaming charts across the globe, barely 24 hours after the album’s release, it ranked 1st in over 10 countries. His single “Alcohol” became a massive hit just weeks after its release and with thousands of teens and young adults contributing to the song’s success by posting creative videos with the song on TikTok. Rema was another successful Afrobeat act the year produced, after his song “Iron Man” appeared on former US President Barrack Obama’s 2019 playlist, the Mavins Record signee went on to become the third Afrobeat act to top the UK Afrobeats singles chart thanks to his collaboration with UK rapper Skepta and Jamaican producer JAE5.
YBNL protégé Fireboy made sure the year ended in perfect style with the release of a remix to his hit track “Peru”. Peru was released in late July and became an instant hit. Just weeks after its release, it topped the novel UK Afrobeats chart and peaked at 89 in the UK singles charts. The influence and popularity of the song in the UK were wild with several popular figures citing it as their best song of the year. Irish singer Ed Sheeran was amongst the people that fell in love with the track and reached out to Fireboy for a remix. Together, they gave Afrobeats a Christmas present and a beautiful gift to round up the year.
Without a single shred of doubt, this has been the best year in the history of Afrobeats. It is rather shocking to believe that a genre that was developed to call out bad governance and speak out for the people managed to travel so far and find rest in the hearts of millions around the globe. As we round off the year vibing melodic Afrobeats jams, we hope for a greater 2022.
Watch below: AFROBEATS 2021 VIDEO MIX | NAIJA 2021 | AFROBEAT 2021| NEW AFROBEATS MIX(CKAY| JOEBOY| TEMS| WIZKID)
