Amaarae believes Afrobeats is losing steam as artists repeat the same sound for profit.
She urges musicians to take risks, evolve creatively, and revive excitement in African music.
Ghanaian-American singer Ama Serwah Genfi, popularly known as Amaarae, has shared her thoughts on the current state of Afrobeats, stating that the genre’s global momentum has slowed down.
Speaking in a recent interview with British-Nigerian media personality Madame Joyce, the Sad Girls Love Money singer explained that Afrobeats and African music in general are at a critical point where growth and innovation are essential.
Amaarae pointed out that many artists have grown so comfortable with the commercial success of a specific sound that they now shy away from exploring new creative directions.
“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,” she said.
She praised Nigerian singer Rema’s HEIS album as an example of innovation within the genre, describing it as a step forward for both the artist and the sound.
“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,” she added.
Amaarae also criticised the reluctance of some artists to push creative limits, noting that even those with major hits have not contributed significantly to the genre’s development.
“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,” she concluded.
