After receiving her award for Best Afrobeats Song of the Year 2023 at the MTV VMAs on September 11, 2024, Tyla took the opportunity to address an important issue. She won the award for “Water,” and while accepting it, she expressed her pride in representing her continent and highlighted a common misconception: the tendency to group all African artists under the Afrobeats label.
Tyla began her speech by saying, “The global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too.” She continued, “This is just so special, but also bittersweet because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats. It’s a thing, and even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats.”
Tyla’s message resonates with sentiments previously expressed by Wizkid, who prefers to be identified as a pop or R&B artist rather than being confined to the Afrobeats genre. It’s disheartening that some Nigerians are more focused on criticizing Tyla rather than recognizing the issue at hand. Awards like the Grammys and VMAs often confine African music to a single category, ignoring the broad spectrum of genres that African artists explore.
Why can’t songs like “Water” be considered for Best Pop Song of the Year instead of being placed in a category that doesn’t fit? As Africans, we need to challenge these stereotypes and push for recognition of our music’s diversity. Our artists embody every aspect of music, and it’s time we acknowledge and celebrate this diversity.