Ghanaian-American artist Amaarae, born Ama Serwah Genfi, has stated that the global rise of Afrobeats has slowed down.
In a recent chat with British-Nigerian media personality Madame Joyce, the Sad Girls Love Money singer shared her perspective, noting that African music, including Afrobeats, must evolve.
She said some artists have become too comfortable with one style due to its financial success, making them hesitant to explore new sounds or experiment creatively.
Amaarae said,
“Afrobeats and African music need to evolve. It needs to evolve in a direction that is fearless, and I think right now artists have made so much money from a certain type of sound that they are afraid to step out of the boundaries because they are probably more focused on the financial aspect of it. And as a result, I think Afrobeats has stalled.
“One of my favourite albums last year was Rema’s ‘HEIS.’ That’s what I consider the evolution of Afrobeats. You see how it moved the genre and the culture forward, and you see how it moved his career forward.
“There have been a lot of people that have big hits that aren’t willing to push the boundaries of the music, and as a result, Afrobeats is in a bit of a rut. So, I think Africans need to get it together, get on up, and start to experiment. [African] music needs to evolve, and it needs to excite people again.”