6 Afrobeats artists to know in 2024: from pioneer Burna Boy, to Wizkid and Tems’ breakout Beyoncé and Drake collabs, and today’s Gen Z upstarts Rema and Ayra Starr
- After gaining buzz since the late 2010s, Afrobeats exploded onto the global scene during the past year, with Burna Boy recently making history as the first African artist to sell out a US stadium
- Seminal collabs include Tems working with Beyoncé on ‘Move’, Drake’s feature on Wizkid’s ‘Close Closer’, and Rema enlisting Selena Gomez for ‘Calm Down’ – the first African-led track to top 1 billion Spotify streams
Afrobeats has officially exploded over the past year, growing from a musical subgenre to a world-conquering behemoth. This sudden burst of interest in music from a corner of the world historically marginalised in the mainstream media represents a true cultural shift worth celebrating.
The umbrella term encompasses modern groove-oriented music originating from West Africa, which first began gaining wider traction in the late 2010s. The genre’s slick beats are not to be confused with the more traditional Afrobeat though, without the “s” – the highly danceable, trancelike music spearheaded by Nigerian musical outlaw Fela Kuti in the 70s.
According to Spotify, Afrobeats streaming has increased by 550 per cent since 2017, with artists like Rema, Tems and Davido leading plays across the globe.
Not yet up on the trend? Here are six essential Afrobeats artists to spice up your spring playlist.
1. Burna Boy
Nigerian native Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu – better known by his stage name Burna Boy – is easily one of the biggest names in Afrobeats.
Nicknamed the “African giant”, his international breakthrough came in 2018 with the release of his critically acclaimed third album Outside.