Afrobeats making waves around the globe in 2022Afrobeats is arguably Nigeria's strongest cultural export since the turn of the millennium, it incorporates languages and styles
by The Conversation
30-12-2022 12:46
in Art and Artists
Afrobeats in 2022: global mobility, election songs, placemaking albums - and Tems. Photo: Pexels
More than Nollywood films, Afrobeats is arguably Nigeria's strongest cultural export since the turn of the millennium.
--
It is a hugely dynamic music category that incorporates a range of moods, languages, styles, and existing genres.
To understand its impact, a cultural connoisseur has equated good Afrobeats music with well-made, smoky Nigerian party jollof rice!
As suggested, the core of Afrobeats is celebratory pop music originating from Nigeria, West Africa and beyond.
--
In 2022, Afrobeats artists were regular names on the global stage, winning awards, featuring on Hollywood soundtracks, packing out stadiums and even getting their own music charts in the UK and US.
The exhibition Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: Afrobeat Rebellion opened, with a pilgrimage of the Afrobeats community to Paris.
To pay homage to the Nigerian musician who helped create Afrobeat, which ultimately spawned Afrobeats.
--
At home in Nigeria, some Afrobeats artists started to become more politically conscious while big names competed to release landmark albums.
The Hollywood film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever held its African premiere in Lagos with an Afrobeats-drenched soundtrack highlighting the talents of Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems.
ALSO READ: The story of Pel : an icon who put passion at the heart of soccer
ELECTION SEASON In Nigeria in 2022, Afrobeats had an additional layer due to the run-up to the 2023 general elections in February.
In my study on the relationship between pop music and electoral consciousness, I mapped a number of ways that popular musicians influence the electoral terrain - and how the electoral terrain influences popular music in Nigeria. Among these was the positive development of pop stars setting the campaign agenda for political parties and politicians by addressing challenges in society.
Take, for example, Electricity by Pheelz and Davido, one of the year's bigger singles.
It addresses the burning subject that Nigeria is so poorly electrified.
It subtly yet loudly sets the agenda for the political class to solve the problem and improve lives.
It is a non-partisan electoral season hit that resonates with audiences while keeping politicians on their toes.
In 2022, several Afrobeats stars were inspired by the political class whose attention they sought, or simply appropriated slogans and songs popularised by politicians.
Asiwaju by Ruger, Sweet Us by Timaya, and Emi lo kan by Qdot are a few examples.
None of these singles necessarily enriches electoral value nor prescribes solutions to societal problems.
Each, however, offers mileage to the performing artists and to the referenced politicians.
On Sweet Us, Afrobeats veteran Timaya echoes a triumphant cry popularised by Governor Nyesom Wike.
The song gained national momentum after the governor lost a bitter presidential primary.
It resonated with disadvantaged audiences; expanding after Timaya made his version sensual.
On the catchy but cheesy Asiwaju (Leader), rising sensation Ruger subtly references Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,
The presidential candidate of Nigeria's ruling party, almost yearning for the attention of the party's campaign team.
Several Afrobeats and Nollywood personalities - like P-Square and Kenneth Okonkwo - have endorsed presidential candidate Peter Obi, popular with young Nigerians.
But not all of the music out of Nigeria in 2022 is electorally or politically slanted.
STAND-OUT STARS: KIZZ DANIEL AND ASAKE 2022 is the year of Buga - a viral hit by singer-songwriter Kizz Daniel with its dance moves being performed publicly by notable figures including Liberian president George Weah.
Daniel didn't stop at that. He added Cough to an already outstanding body of work.
Buga and Cough highlight the artist's mastery in applying phrases from across the West African coast for pan-African effects.
Buga is a Yoruba term meaning flaunt it when you've got it .
2022 is undoubtedly also the year of breakout artist Asake, whose hit Terminator ignites memories of the Hollywood movie The Terminator.
Asake shows how trans-artistic and transnational Afrobeats gets.
Some of Nigeria's leading presidential candidates, while abroad, put out videos dancing to or working out to Asake's crowd favourite Organise.
Queen of Afrobeats , 42-year-old Tiwa Savage, joined forces with Asake to pull off a hit single, Loaded, addressing a leaked sex tape.
Rising singer Oxlade captured the airwaves with Ku lo sa. Other notable mentions include Ayra Starr's career-defining Rush,
MohBad's Peace, which addresses unsatisfactory contracts with local labels.
YEAR OF THE ALBUM More than these, 2022 was a year for Afrobeats stars seeking to cement their legacies with complete bodies of work.
With his first album as an artist, the producer and singer-songwriter CKay's Sad Romance contained the hit Love Nwantiti, which went global and lifted awards.
Other celebrated releases include Omah Lay's Boy Alone, Rema's Rave and Roses, Fireboy DML's Playboy, Adekunle Gold's Catch Me if You Can, and Burna Boy's Love, Damini (the most streamed album in Nigeria in 2022).
Afrobeats trailblazer Wizkid presented More Love Less Ego in a year that confirmed his transition into OG status as he increasingly relies on the breaths of fresh air that are Tems and Ayra Starr.
There is, of course, also Asake's debut Mr Money with the Vibe.
ALSO READ: Four ways ways to avoid gaining weight
EMBRACING RAP There is evidence of the im
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Afrobeats making waves around the globe in 2022Afrobeats is arguably Nigeria's strongest cultural export since the turn of the millennium, it incorporates languages and styles
