I was wrong about Afrobeats – Burna Boy apologises to fans

Nigeria music superstar Burna Boy has tendered an apology for his past controversial remarks distancing himself from Afrobeats.

Back in July 2022, the two-time Grammy winner said he didn’t do Afrobeats, insisting his sound should be called ‘Afro-fusion’. The statement sparked outrage across the music community, with many accusing him of disrespecting the genre that brought global fame to Nigerian music.

Now, the singer is eating humble pie. Speaking on The Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show, Burna Boy admitted he “missed the point” about why the Afrobeats tag matters.

“I said I don’t do Afrobeats because I didn’t understand why everyone wanted to put my music in one box,” Burna confessed. “From day one, I’ve always called what I do Afrofusion. My sound mixes different elements, but the root is African.”

He explained that, at the time, he didn’t realize the Afrobeats umbrella was key to global recognition for African music, just like R&B and Hip-Hop.

“At the time, I didn’t get why it was needed. Now I do,” he said. “If I had understood then, I would have handled things differently. Why would I want to destroy what I’m building? The Afrobeats tag is necessary to push the culture worldwide. Without unity, genres don’t grow.”

Burna ended his remarks with a heartfelt apology: “I totally get it now and I apologise for the confusion.”

The statement is already trending online, with fans and critics debating whether the apology will restore the sinking ship of the Nigerian music amongst its counterparts or fuel more conversations about identity in African music.