Ghanaian-American singer Ama Serwah Genfi, widely known as Amaarae, has shared her thoughts on the current state of Afrobeats, suggesting that the genre’s global momentum has slowed.
In a recent interview with British-Nigerian media personality Madame Joyce, the Sad Girls Love Money hitmaker voiced concerns about the genre’s growth. She argued that while Afrobeats has achieved international recognition, it now risks stagnation unless artists are willing to push creative boundaries.
Amaarae noted that some African artists have become so financially comfortable with a particular sound that they’re hesitant to experiment or evolve musically.
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 favorite 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.”
