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
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.
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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.
2. Tems
Temilade Openiyi, aka Tems, got her breakthrough in 2020 with a featured spot on fellow Afrobeats artist Wizkid’s single “Essence”, which earned a Grammy nomination in the best global music performance category.
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3. Wizkid
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, aka Wizkid, is among the most prominent figures in the modern day Afrobeats music scene, and has been making music since 2010.
4. Davido
David Adedeji Adeleke Oon, aged 31 and known professionally as Davido, is another prominent figure in Afrobeats.
The Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer dropped out of Oakwood University in the US to return to Africa and focus on his music career. The gamble paid off and he quickly rose to fame after the release of his debut album Omo Baba Olowo in 2012. His 2017 single “Fall” broke records that year as the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history.
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5. Ayra Starr
Aged just 21, Nigeria’s Ayra Starr is fast emerging as a Gen Z Afrobeats star.
Starr, who’s real name is Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, started off her career in the entertainment industry as a model at 16 before she switched to music.
The release of her 2021 studio album 19 & Dangerous catapulted the young singer to fame and mainstream recognition after songs like “Rush” went viral on Tik Tok.
6. Rema
Nigerian superstar Divine Ikubor, aged just 23 and better known by his stage name Rema, has been recognised for his music since the 2019 release of his self-titled debut EP peaked at No 1 on Apple Music in Nigeria.
The year 2022 was a career defining one, when Rema gained mainstream recognition with his wildly successful “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez. Remembered as the first track led by an African artist to surpass a billion streams on Spotify, it later won the best Afrobeats song award at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
- 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