Award-winning Nigerian singer Burna Boy has issued a public apology and offered clarity over his past criticism of Afrobeats, saying his controversial remarks were rooted in a desire to define his own sound as Afro-fusion, rather than to dismiss the genre as a whole.
Speaking in an interview on The Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show with Eddie Kadi, the Grammy-winning artist acknowledged the significance of Afrobeats as a unifying term that has propelled Nigerian music onto the global stage.
Burna Boy admitted that his previous comments—where he claimed Afrobeats lacked lyrical substance—were misinterpreted and came from a limited perspective of the genre’s wider cultural influence.
“I described my music as Afro-fusion because it felt like there was no space for it back home, so I had to carve my own niche,” he explained. “I didn’t understand then why everyone wanted my music in a single box. I didn’t know we needed an umbrella term to take our music forward globally. If I had understood that, I would’ve approached it differently.”
He continued, “Why would I want to destroy what I’m building? I apologise for the confusion.”
The artist’s remarks in a 2023 appearance on Apple Music’s Zane Lowe Show, where he stated that Afrobeats lacked depth, sparked widespread backlash on social media and drew criticism from fans and fellow musicians.
Now, Burna Boy says he recognizes the broader purpose Afrobeats serves in championing African music and culture and has reaffirmed his commitment to unity within the community.
“I realise the role Afrobeats has played in putting all of us on the map. I respect that now more than ever,” he concluded.
