Afrobeats is one of the most celebrated and globally accepted genres of music, characterised by infectious rhythms, danceable beats, and vibrating melodies. But right behind those pulsating drums and synths lie some equally powerful lyrics. These words speak to love, ambition, joy, and societal struggles, epitomising life for many Africans and the diaspora.
Afrobeats, born from the Afrobeat movement led by Fela Kuti, was never just music. The compositions from Fela were a mix of intricate rhythms and words with high-voltage politics, speaking to the power, corruption, inequality, and colonial legacies of his time. Fast-forward to the 21st century, Afrobeats is now a more extensive, recent offshoot that keeps its storytelling essence in place while embracing more personal and relatable themes; today, Afrobeats artists speak about everything that touches on love turmoil to aspirations for success. Yet, even as Afrobeats has come into its musical sounds, the lyrical narrations are anything but void; they reflect life in modern-day Africa and the ambitions that accompany it.
Love: The Universal Language
Love is universal, and Afrobeats captures this many-splendored thing with an unmistakable African flavour. Wizkid's ‘Essence’ featuring Tems is now an anthem worldwide, celebrating closeness and bonding. In the same way, Tiwa Savage's ‘Somebody's Son’ shows vulnerability and longing, resonating across cultures.
Tems' ‘Love Me Jeje’, off her Grammy-nominated debut album, ‘Born in the Wild’, the number one Afro-Pop song of 2024 according to Rolling Stone, explores love in a delicate, soothing manner; hence, it is so vulnerable and deep. Fave's ‘Baby Riddim’ captures the beauty and yearning for a blossoming relationship, while Davido and Fave's ‘Kante’ add a soulful duet to it in devotion and emotional resonance.
Lastly, Chike’s ‘Running (To You’), featuring Simi, is a tale of loyalty for sure, At the same time, Davido's ‘Fall’ uses metaphors like "Money fall on you, banana fall on you" to express admiration and dedication. These songs are highly relatable, using traditional African imagery in modern narratives to portray the beauty and intricacy of love.
Success: A Celebration of Hustle
Success is another common Afrobeats refrain that underlines the hopes and struggles of many Africans. The Grammy-nominated ‘Rush’ by Ayra Starr champions hustle and self-determination; its lyrics celebrate struggles: "Sabi girl no dey too like talk / Animals dey in human form."
Burna Boy's Grammy-nominated ‘Last Last’ is a personal journey of heartbreak and resilience, epitomising the triumph of rising above life's challenges. Olamide's ‘Triumphant,’ featuring Bella Shmurda, delves into personal losses and victories, showing the cost of success in a society where dreams are hard-won.
Adekunle Gold's ‘5 Star’ completes this picture with uplifting lyrics, celebrating personal growth and achievement while inspiring listeners to embrace their worth. Victony's ‘Risk’, off his debut album, Stubborn, which resonated with every fan of Afrobeats to the core, also number 15 on the Rolling Stone Top 40 Afro-pop 2024 list, captures the unbridled pursuit of dreams with a message of persistence and courage. These tracks reflect the realities of hustle culture in Africa and fill audiences with hope and fresh ambition.
Furthermore, ‘Ojuelegba’ by Wizkid puts together the spirit of struggles to the heights of global stardom in resilience and gratefulness. With the classic lines, "My people dey hustle to collect money," he expresses the fight of hustling to collect and earning rewards in their struggles-a universal anthem over adversities.
Joy: The Soul of Afrobeats
The core attribute of Afrobeats thrives in the feel of joy, from the ‘Buga’ track by Kizz Daniel featuring Tekno to Flavour's ‘Game Changer,’ an ode to triumph and community pride that highlights the blend of traditional elements in contemporary rhythms and stirs one with so much joy.
Asake's ‘Joha’ bursts with pulsating beats and playful lyrics that make dance floors worldwide burst into a frenzy. These songs remind us to cherish life's beautiful moments and the communal spirit of celebration.
Personal Stories: The Pulse of the People
Asa's ‘Bibanke’ is a soulful ballad that captures the raw emotions of heartbreak and vulnerability. With a touching rendition and soulful melodies, Asa reflects on love's hurt, saying, "You became my bad habit, Keeping up Appearances, so you could notice. Even when you suddenly picked up your things and left the keys, that's crazy." The deeply personal narrative of this song speaks universally and will forever be the anthem of anyone who has faced struggles in love.
Notwithstanding, Bloody Civilian's ‘Mad Apology’ turns everyday experiences of insincere apologies into a witty and vibrant track. The song is laced with playful sarcasm and infectious pop energy that captures the relatable nuances of human interactions, furthering how Afrobeats connect through personal and authentic storytelling.
Activism: Speaking Truth to Power
Afrobeats has not forgotten its activist roots. Falz's ‘This Is Nigeria,’ a cover of Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” boldly critiques corruption, police brutality, and inequality, While Burna Boy's ‘Monsters You Made’ featuring Chris Martin, from his Grammy-winning album, ‘Twice As Tall’, confronts colonial legacies and systemic oppression. In addition to Monsters You Made, Burna Boy's ‘20:10:20’ epitomises this spirit of the activist in memory of the victims of the #EndSARS protests for justice in the aftermath of the tragic shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate. With powerful storytelling, the song ensures their sacrifices are never forgotten.
Global Appeal: A Universal Language
One of the intriguing things that Afrobeats do is transcend across borders. Even if the lyrics are in Yoruba, Igbo, Pidgin, or whatever African language exists, international crowds connect to the emotion and energy of the words behind the vocals. Rema's ‘Calm Down’ with American singer Selena Gomez gained massive popularity globally; it was the second best-selling global single according to IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry), also recognised as the biggest Afrobeats song of all time, partly because of the relatable storytelling and vibrant melodies.
Critic Kwanele Sosibo considered Burna Boy's Twice as Tall: he "bends Afrobeats to his will", displaying the elasticity of the genre and how it melts personal narratives with global influence. Hence, Social media platforms like TikTok amplify these stories into viral trends, exposing millions to catchy lines and hooks of Afrobeats. Asake's 'Terminator' and its characteristic energy are manifestations of how the platforms take Afrobeats into new dimensions and make the stories reach every corner of the world.
Cultural Identity: The Heartbeat of Afrobeats
Afrobeats lyrics are not just for entertainment; they document and celebrate African culture. They record the commoner's exemplary life, struggles, and hopes in their communities. These songs highlight the local slang, traditions, and values to ensure that they remain relevant in the ever-globalising world.
Tracks like Adekunle Gold's ‘5 Star’ and Flavour's ‘Game Changer (Dike)’ show the genre as a cultural mirror reflecting pride and resilience in African communities. From hustle to love and resistance to the celebration, Afrobeats captures the richness of African experiences and instils a deep sense of identity among its listeners.
Though Afrobeats has been celebrated widely for rhythm and melody, the lyrical content is great. They form the very pulse of the genre, telling stories of life and spirit that embody African culture. The way such stories pierce so deep into the lyrical makeup of Afrobeats rests on personal authenticity, universality, and depth of humane feeling. While each song primarily fits into one category, many fit into several, showing how versatile Afrobeats really is.
These stories will, no doubt, remain part of its mystique as the genre evolves and converges with global cultures. Afrobeats is not just music; it is a cultural mirror reflecting the dreams of people who refuse to die.
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