The Recording Academy has released its much-anticipated list of Top 10 Afrobeats Evolution Songs, highlighting the genre’s most influential tracks that shaped its global ascent. The list, which marks a major nod to the genre’s international rise and the creation of the new Best African Music Performance Grammy category, has stirred discussion for who made the cut—and who didn’t.
Notably missing from the lineup are globally acclaimed stars like Davido, Burna Boy, and D’banj. Instead, the Academy’s selections spotlight earlier trailblazers and stylistic milestones, including Wizkid, Asake, 2Baba, Wande Coal, and Niniola.
In an effort to clarify its criteria, the Recording Academy emphasized that Afrobeats (with an “s”) differs from Afrobeat—the genre pioneered by Fela Kuti in the 1970s that fused jazz, funk, and political commentary. Afrobeats, on the other hand, is a more fluid, pop-driven movement that blends R&B, hip-hop, dancehall, and traditional African rhythms. Though popularized in the 2010s by British-Ghanaian DJ Abrantee, its musical DNA can be traced back decades.
Artists like 2Baba (formerly 2Face Idibia), Styl-Plus, the Remedies, and Daddy Showkey were among the early innovators, blending foreign genres with Nigerian street culture and vernacular to shape the foundations of modern African pop.
The Academy noted that Afrobeats continues to evolve, absorbing global influences from South African house and Angolan kuduro to Caribbean soca. This sonic diversity and growing international presence were key drivers behind the introduction of the new Grammy category, which debuts in 2024.
Here are the 10 tracks named as key milestones in Afrobeats’ evolution:
- “African Queen” – 2Baba (2004): A timeless ballad that positioned Nigerian pop music on the global stage and helped define the early sound of Afrobeats.
- “Do Me” – P-Square (2007): A club anthem that packaged Nigerian pop with glossy visuals and infectious rhythms for an international audience.
- “Bumper 2 Bumper” – Wande Coal (2009): A breakout hit from the Mo’Hits era, known for its smooth vocals and genre-defining production.
- “Pon Pon Pon” – Dagrin (2009): A gritty, Indigenous-language rap track that gave street narratives a powerful new platform and helped birth Nigeria’s streetpop movement.
- “Azonto” – Fuse ODG ft. Tiffany (2014): A Ghanaian anthem that introduced a viral dance and helped push Afrobeats into the UK Top 10, broadening its international appeal.
- “Ojuelegba” – Wizkid (2014): Often cited as a breakthrough moment for global Afrobeats, the song’s organic storytelling caught the attention of Drake and Skepta, leading to remixes that catapulted Wizkid onto the world stage.
- “Mad Over You” – Runtown (2016): A melodic blend of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian pop that resonated across Africa and the diaspora, influencing a wave of similar sounds.
- “Maradona” – Niniola (2017): A genre-expanding Afro-house hit that caught international ears—including Beyoncé’s—and diversified the rhythmic possibilities of Afrobeats.
- “Sungba” – Asake (2022): An amapiano-fueled track that signaled the genre’s next phase, boosted by a Burna Boy remix and Asake’s meteoric rise.
- “Ozeba” – Rema (2024): A glimpse into Afrobeats’ future, this track fused the fast-paced, chant-heavy “mara” style and moved beyond amapiano’s dominance.
While the absence of certain megastars has raised eyebrows, the Recording Academy’s selection appears to favor influence over fame—tracing the genre’s growth from grassroots innovation to global recognition. The list provides a narrative of sonic evolution, spotlighting how Afrobeats has matured into one of the world’s most influential music movements.