Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy has issued an apology over past remarks in which he criticized Afrobeats, admitting that his earlier comments were made without fully understanding the genre’s broader significance for African music.
The artist, known for his global influence and genre-bending sound, came under fire in 2023 after describing Afrobeats as lacking lyrical substance. At the time, he also distanced himself from the genre, choosing instead to label his style as “Afrofusion.”
However, in a recent interview with BBC radio host Eddie Kadi, Burna Boy acknowledged that he misjudged the cultural and strategic role Afrobeats plays in elevating African voices on the international stage. He revealed that he failed to see, at the time, how the genre serves as a critical umbrella that allows artists across the continent to thrive collectively.
Reflecting on his earlier decision to reject the Afrobeats label, Burna Boy explained that his artistic choices were shaped by a desire to avoid being boxed into a single musical category. “Back then, I didn’t understand why people needed to define my sound so rigidly,” he said. “To me, lumping all African music into one term didn’t make creative sense.”
Despite that, he admitted his perspective has shifted. He now sees the Afrobeats label not as a constraint, but as a platform for unity. “I realise now that having a shared identity helps us push forward globally. I didn’t get that before, and I’m sorry for the confusion I caused,” he said.
The singer also attributed his previous comments to personal struggles. “At the time, I was in a dark mental space,” he confessed, adding that his state of mind may have influenced the tone and intent of his statements.
Burna Boy’s revised outlook comes amid Afrobeats’ continued dominance on the global music scene, with artists from Nigeria and across Africa gaining more international recognition. His latest comments signal a more inclusive tone and a willingness to align himself with a movement that has helped define his rise to stardom—even if he once resisted the label.
The apology is likely to resonate with fans and fellow artists alike, many of whom have long considered Burna Boy one of the most prominent figures to emerge from the Afrobeats wave. His new stance may also help repair tensions with parts of the industry who viewed his earlier comments as dismissive of a genre that continues to shape Africa’s cultural narrative worldwide.