By Abu Hassan
Lagos, Nigeria – Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy has issued an apology for earlier comments that saw him distance himself from the Afrobeats genre, admitting he was in a “dark place mentally” at the time and now understands the importance of the collective “Afrobeats” label.
The Grammy-winning artist, widely regarded as a trailblazer in bringing Afrobeats to a global audience, faced significant backlash in 2023 following an Apple Music interview. In that conversation, Burna Boy, real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, controversially stated that Afrobeats “lacks substance” and that most artists within the space had “almost no real-life experiences.”
Speaking to 1Xtra’s Eddie Kadi, Burna Boy explained that the public reaction to his initial remarks provided a crucial perspective. “I got the point of the Afrobeats tag in that moment,” he stated. “I totally get it and I apologise for that confusion.”
He further elaborated on his mindset during the 2023 interview, revealing, “I was in a dark place mentally. I wasn’t the happiest man in the world.” He said his original intention was not to disparage the genre, but rather to differentiate his own music, which he views as a “mix of elements,” from being confined to a single category. “I didn’t understand why people wanted my music to be inside one box,” he explained, drawing an analogy: “The way I saw it, if you just put everything into Afrobeats, you’re now comparing Socrates to Kendrick Lamar because they both said two things that rhyme so they both must be rappers.”
Despite his past reservations, Burna Boy’s influence on the genre is undeniable. In 2023, he made history as the first African artist to headline a stadium show in the UK, a testament to his global appeal. He has consistently dominated the Official UK Afrobeat’s chart and holds a coveted Grammy Award.
The “division” caused by his words ultimately helped him “come to terms” with the collective identity. The artist now appears content to embrace the Afrobeat’s label, even leaning into it on his new album, ‘No Sign of Weakness,’ released last week.
“I learnt to embrace the fact that I will always be different,” he concluded, adding, “I’m not going to be the favorite but I’m going to be the best.”
