Davido recently pulled up at The Breakfast Club and gave a refreshing take on what Afrobeats really means.
According to him, a lot of people have the wrong idea — Afrobeats isn’t a particular sound or style.
“Afrobeats is more like an umbrella term,” he said. “It’s not a specific type of music. It’s African music that blew up, and they needed a name for it, especially in places like the UK.”
He explained that the name Afrobeats was borrowed from the legendary Fela Kuti’s genre, but over time, it became a catch-all for African artists, no matter the style — whether it’s R&B, trap, or dance.
Davido admitted that it’s now too late to correct it: “We just ran with it,” he said, laughing. Talking about his new album, he added, “It’s African music, but obviously, when you go to the genre category, they’ll call it Afrobeats.”
He also touched on the growing influence of Amapiano, the South African sound that’s been making waves across the continent.
“South Africans have always had dope music. And we Nigerians tapped into it too,” he said, giving props to Nigerian producers for their ability to adapt and evolve.
At the end of the day, Davido made it clear: whether it’s Afrobeats, Amapiano, or Afro-R&B, African music is taking over — and he’s proud to be part of it.
