Burna Boy Apologises For Afrobeats Comment
Burna Boy apologises for Afrobeats comment, saying he now embraces the genre after backlash and mental struggles. New album marks a turning point
Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy has apologised for past comments distancing himself from the Afrobeats genre, admitting he now understands the importance of embracing the label.
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The Grammy-winning artist, known for hits like Last Last and Ye, faced backlash in 2023 after telling Apple Music that Afrobeats “lacks substance” and most artists in the genre had “almost no real-life experiences.”
His remarks sparked criticism from fans and industry peers alike.
Speaking to BBC 1Xtra’s Eddie Kadi, Burna Boy – born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu – reflected on that period, revealing he was mentally struggling when he made those statements.
“I wasn’t the happiest man in the world,” he said. “I was in a dark place mentally.”
At the time, Burna expressed frustration over being confined to a single genre. He saw his music as a blend of global influences and questioned the logic of putting diverse sounds under one label.
“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,” he explained.
However, the backlash he received helped shift his perspective.
“I got the point of the Afrobeats tag in that moment,” he said. “I totally get it and I apologise for that confusion.”
He now embraces the genre fully, even leaning into it on his latest album, *No Sign of Weakness, released last week.
“I learnt to embrace the fact that I will always be different,” he added. “I’m not going to be the favourite but I’m going to be the best.”
I got the point of the Afrobeats tag in that moment. I totally get it and I apologise for that confusion,
Burna Boy has long been considered a pioneer in globalising Afrobeats, becoming the first African artist to headline a UK stadium in 2023.
With nearly 24 million monthly listeners on Spotify and a string of sold-out shows, his influence remains undeniable.
Performing, he says, remains his greatest passion. After appearing at the Wireless Festival on Sunday, he shared that his ultimate goal is to continue performing well into old age.
“I want to be doing this the way someone like Coldplay has been doing it for a long time, or The Rolling Stones,” he said.
“These people are still doing what I’m doing now, so why don’t I see anyone that looks like me, on those levels, at that age? And it’s simple… it’s because they just don’t love it as much as I do.”
That admiration led him to work with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger on Empty Chairs, a standout track from his new album.
Burna described the collaboration as one of the best experiences of his life.
“Mick Jagger is the rock star,” he said.
“I felt he, out of everyone in the world, would understand where I was coming from with this song lyrically and he did.”
The singer is currently on his European and North American tour, which will run through the end of the year.
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With a new mindset, an international sound, and growing respect for the label that launched him, Burna Boy is not just making music — he’s rewriting the narrative of African artistry on a global stage.
