Nigerian singer Omah Lay has voiced deep concern over the current direction of Afrobeats, warning that the genre is drifting away from genuine artistic effort towards quick commercial gains.
Omah Lay expressed fear that the focus on fast success is harming the culture he loves.
“The thing that I fear for Afrobeats, Nigerian music, is drifting towards a place where niggas are not putting in so much effort in the art anymore, and that is also hurting my culture.”
He criticised the growing trend of superficial songs.
“People are just really playing with music these days and not digging into the sound, trying to improve the craft and the whole creativity around it. It’s just like quick money.”
According to the singer, this shift is also affecting new listeners and the next generation of artists.
“Now the audience are used to a level of music, and that is what the new generation is growing into. So they are even doing worse.”
While Omah Lay acknowledged the positive side of Afrobeats’ global expansion, he made it clear that international success is not the root cause of the problem.
“I also don’t want to pin that on the globalization of Afrobeats. That could be one of the reasons. But in general, it’s a good thing Africa to the world, Afrobeats to the world is happening. People are getting to know us from our music.”
A number of fans and industry insiders have agreed that artistic depth has been sacrificed for viral hits and quick streams while many others defended the evolution of the genre, arguing that commercial success allows artists to take bigger creative risks in the long run.
Omah Lay has built his reputation on introspective, emotionally rich music that blends Afrobeats with R&B influences. His latest album drew mixed reviews, with some critics noting it lacked the innovation expected from one of Afrobeats’ biggest stars.
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The singer’s latest remarks appear to reflect his own reflections on the industry’s current state and his desire to see a return to craft-focused music.