Some have called it afrobeats, others have called it afro-fusion, and I choose to call it Afropop, but we’re all referring to the African sound that’s taking over the world. Nigerian artists like Wizkid, Ckay, and Burna Boy have racked up billions of streams with this catchy style of music. Afropop fever is so widespread that even global stars from all around the world are coming in to tap some of the African juice.

Beyonce’s Lion King album featured several Afropop artists including Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage. Other artists like Drake, Stormzy, and Ed Sheeran have also collaborateAfropopafropop stars to create record-breaking music. Afropop, once relegated to the streets of Africa, is now a global movement.

Where It All Started

For a very long time, thirty-nine years to be exact, Nigeria bounced from one military regime to another. The country was in disarray and the governments were repressive. Amid all this turmoil and oppression, Nigerians expressed their displeasure through music.

Leading this movement was Fela Kuti, often referred to as the father of afrobeat. Fela’s brand new style of music surged in popularity even beyond the borders of Nigeria, much to the ire of the Nigerian governments of the day.

The original afrobeat music was a creative way for Nigerians to express their protest. It featured a spicy mix of jazz, funk, and traditional African music; and was characterized by strongly political lyrics. Fela died in 1997 after making over 50 albums, but Nigerian music would never remain the same again…

Reinvention

With the arrival of a civilian government in 1999, Nigerian music took another turn. The new civilian government, headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo pushed new policies that gave local content preference. A fusion of US hip hop and RnB, Nigerian afrobeat, and some highlife gave birth to a new sound.

Artists like Tuface, P-Square, and Plantashun Boiz ruled the early 2000s with this new Nigerian sound, but their success remained largely within the continent. That was all about to change…

Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido burst onto the music scene in the early 2010s and nothing was ever the same for Nigerian music. Their new and evolving style of music has been dubbed Afropop. These men dominated the Nigerian music scene, then proceeded to take on the world.

They consolidated their arrival on the international scene by collaborating with foreign artists. Drake, Meek Mill, Ed Sheeran, and Beyonce are all global stars who’ve gotten in on the Afropop trend.

Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy have led the way. Wizkid won a Grammy for his collaboration with Beyonce on Brown Skin Girl, Davido has received several awards and is in the official song for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while Burna Boy has claimed three Grammy nominations and won once in three consecutive years.

Behind them, a host of Nigerian artists are also making a name for themselves. You may have heard of Tems, Fireboy, Rema, Kizz Daniel, and many more.

Top Afropop Artists

The people on this list have played major roles in the rise of Afropop. You might recognize some names…

Tuface

Afropop is no longer a niche music genre, it's rise is becoming undeniable.

Tuface Idibia, also called 2Baba, is one of the artists who blew up in the early 2000s. Along with artists like D’Banj and Eedris Abdulkarim, Tuface was the face of Nigerian music throughout the 2000s. Some of his songs, like African Queen, helped put Nigeria on the music map. Although he never really became a global star, Tuface is one of the pioneers of the new Nigerian sound.

P-Square

Another dominant force in the 2000s, this twin-brother band was among the first to gain some international recognition, featuring Rick Ross in one of their songs called Beautiful Onyinye. They started heavily influenced by RnB and pop but eventually added in some afro-based music. This Afropop fusion became their signature sound throughout the rest of their glory days.

Their catalog ranges from songs like No One Like You, one of the romantic songs of the decade, to songs like Personally, a tribute to Michael Jackson characterized by well-choreographed dancing. They famously had a new dance in each of their party songs. Like Tuface, they never really became global stars, but their impact is undeniable.

Burna Boy

Afropop artist are starting to gain worldwide recognition.

With three Grammy nominations and one win in three consecutive years, Burna Boy has shone on the global stage. His sound is quite reminiscent of Fela, but he has fused different styles to make something new. Burna Boy won a Grammy last year for his album, Twice as Tall, which mixed activist and feel-good tones.

He has found the right balance between collaborating with massive artists and helping upcoming artists. On his most recent album called Love, Damini, Burna Boy featured stars like Ed Sheeran and Khalid but still spared spots for upcoming acts like Victony.

Wizkid

Ayo Balogun, also called Wizkid, is another top Afropop artist who has been dominating the charts for about a decade. When Wizkid started, the likes of Tuface and P-Square had taken Fela's original afrobeat sound and were making a new type of sound. Wizkid took this sound and further experimented with it. His debut album, Starboy, featured different types of musical expression and it was received with aplomb.

Today, Wizkid is one of the leading Nigerian artists pushing the global Afropop movement. He has won a Grammy and has founded his label where he is producing the next generation of Afropop stars. He also works with artists outside his label, you might want to look out for certain Terms.

Davido

Here's another heavyweight of Nigerian music. Alongside Wizkid and Burna Boy, Davido has taken Afropop beyond borders with collaborations all over the world. He has filled up venues all over the world and made himself an undoubted megastar.

His more important contribution is the impact he's making on the future crop of stars in Nigeria. Mayorkun, Victory, Peruzzi, and several others have all benefited from the help and mentorship of Davido. If Afropop is to succeed and become an established global sound, the work Davido is doing with upcoming artists will be paramount.

The internationally known sounds of Afropop.

Final Thoughts

Taking a leaf out of Fela’s book, the new generation of Nigerian artists has once again put Nigeria and Africa on the map again with music. Unlike the bitter and heavily political lyrics that characterized Fela’s music, this new version is much lighter and happier.

It may no longer be the afrobeat of Fela’s time, but Afropop is continually evolving. It’s still not as dominant as genres like rock and RnB, but Afropop is here to stay and only the sky seems to be the limit.