Afrobeats Is a Label, Not a Genre – Seun Kuti
The Afrobeat musician argues that Afrobeats serves more as a continental tag than a defined musical style.
Grammy-nominated Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has stirred conversation in the music community with his bold take on Afrobeats, arguing that it is not a genre but rather a label used to classify music from Africa.
Speaking in an interview with The Beat 99.9 FM, Lagos, Kuti explained that while Afrobeats has gained global recognition, it functions more as a broad identifier than a structured musical category.
“I think Afrobeats is more of a title than a genre,” Kuti said. “You can see Amapiano is the new Afrobeats. It’s the new thing carrying the Afrobeats label. Afrobeats is just a generalisation—a way to tag something from Africa.”
He pointed out that many artists categorized under Afrobeats explore multiple styles without necessarily adhering to a defined genre. According to him, the flexibility of these musicians underscores the idea that Afrobeats is more of a market-driven term than a stylistic framework.
“Even the big names don’t treat it like a genre,” he added. “An artist might release a dancehall track today, a blues-inspired record tomorrow, and then switch to Nigerian pop or Amapiano. That fluidity shows Afrobeats is really just a title.”
Kuti’s comments highlight ongoing debates about how African music is labeled and consumed on the global stage, especially as sounds like Amapiano continue to dominate charts and playlists worldwide.
