Ghanaian-American singer, Ama Serwah Genfi, popularly known as Amaarae, has made a bold claim about the current state of Afrobeats
Amaarae said that the genre has “stalled” due to lack of experimentation and creative fear among artistes.
In a recent interview with British-Nigerian media personality Madame Joyce, the Sad Girls Love Money crooner expressed concern over the genre’s future, noting that while Afrobeats has experienced global success, many artistes have become too financially comfortable to innovate.
“Afrobeats and African music need to evolve in a direction that is fearless. Right now, artistes have made so much money from a certain type of sound that they are afraid to step out of the boundaries,” she said. “As a result, I think Afrobeats has stalled.”
She praised Nigerian singer Rema’s 2023 album HEIS as an example of bold musical evolution, saying it “moved the genre and the culture forward.”
Amaarae added, “There are a lot of people with big hits who aren’t willing to push the boundaries, and that’s put Afrobeats in a bit of a rut. I think Africans need to get it together and start to experiment. Music needs to excite people again.”
