Burna Boy Apologises for Dismissing Afrobeats

Burna Boy, real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, has issued a heartfelt apology for past remarks in which he criticised Afrobeats as lacking “substance” and distanced himself from the genre.

The 34-year-old Grammy-winning Nigerian star, known for fusing Afrobeats with hip hop, reggae, and R&B, sparked outrage in 2023 after suggesting most Afrobeats songs were about “nothing”.

While talking to an international publication on Tuesday, 15 July, Burna Boy explained that the comments were made during a difficult period in his life and “wasn’t the happiest man in the world.”

He said he now understands the importance of the genre as a unifying label for African music, and added: “I totally get it and I apologise for that confusion.”

While he still sees himself as an Afrofusion artist, Burna Boy now embraces the Afrobeats label, particularly on his latest album, “No Sign of Weakness”, which was released last week. The record features “Don’t Let Me Drown”, which is part of the “F1” movie soundtrack.

With nearly 24 million Spotify listeners and a landmark 2023 United Kingdom stadium performance behind him, Burna Boy says performing live remains his greatest passion, saying: “I want to be able to do this until I die.”

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