Afrobeats, Nigeria’s biggest musical export, has conquered global charts, filled stadiums, and created icons.
But now, the same genre that once thrilled the world is losing its flavour as fans and insiders now agree that Afrobeats is getting boring, and it’s choking from too much music and too little innovation.
Not long ago, the sound was fresh; full of rhythm, originality, and wild-unapologetic creativity. Now, even loyal fans admit it feels repetitive.
Slimcase lit the fuse when he said, “Too many songs, too many albums.” His words reflect a growing frustration: Afrobeats is being overfed, and listeners are losing their appetite.
Respected music journalist Joey Akan calls the situation “shrinkflation”; the sound is everywhere, but the soul is missing.
“We’re getting cancellations… cutting capacities. We can’t even get into the Hot 100, or any cold 100 outside the sub-Sahara,” he wrote. “Our TikTok hits are muted. Art becomes a blur, and the ecosystem scrambles to support the valley.”
Producer Shizzi agrees, saying Afrobeats has been “going through a weird phase in the past two years… So many songs come out every day, but only a few truly resonate.”
Even highlife star Flavour has voiced concern on this:
“Kids of today don’t want stress; they just want to vibe”, he said, echoing sentiments that new Afrobeats records lack depth and storytelling.
Afrobeats is Dying, Who Can Save it?
Let’s be honest: “boring” is no longer an insult, it’s actually an observation even though that term is subjective.
When almost every New Music Friday sounds the same, the thrill fade as the beats feel recycled with predictable hooks, and shallow lyrics.
Afrobeats used to be known for creative storytelling, emotional truth, struggle, triumph, etc. Now, many songs only chase virality.
As Joey Akan notes, “Songs sound good in the moment, but they have nothing to hold on to.”
Hits still drop every week back-to-back, but very few leave an emotional mark on its listeners. And when every track is made to trend, none are built to last.
Choked By Quantity, Starved of Quality
With replay values streaming and social media demanding constant releases, the art has become a numbers game. Quantity now rules over quality.
Most Artists repeat the same formulas: similar beats, similar energy, similar slang. Flavour believes the hunger for fame has overshadowed the hunger for creativity.
And as Joey Akan warns, the industry’s saturation has led to diminishing returns. New music fades faster, and fewer songs live beyond the moment.
Conclusion
Afrobeats isn’t dying, it’s actually drowning in its own success.
Without fresh ideas, meaningful messages, and patience between releases, the genre risks being loved today but forgotten tomorrow.
To stay alive, Afrobeats must rediscover what made it special in the first place: rhythm with purpose, sound with souls and vibes that last longer than a trend.
Because if things continue the way they are now, “Afrobeats to the World” might soon become once upon a time.
