-
Here is what Pheelz thinks about disassociating from Afrobeats genre
-
Pheelz expresses support for the Afrobeats tag which he calls the spirit of the Nigerian people.
-
Pheelz narrated how he got to collaborate with Usher
A rising trend among Nigerian celebrities is to distance themselves from Afrobeat, despite the genre’s global recognition and ongoing evolution. Many artists now signal to their fans that their musical styles are expanding beyond the boundaries of Afrobeat.
Nigerian producer turned artist, Pheelz, weighed in on this trend, noting that it all began when artists started clarifying the specific music genres they represent (such as Fireboy, Joeboy, and Burna Boy). The movement gained momentum when superstar Wizkid took to social media to assert that he “doesn’t make afro- anything,” refusing to be confined to the label of Afrobeat. This statement ignited diverse opinions on the matter.
During an appearance on the Afrobeats Podcast hosted by Adesope, Pheelz shared his perspective on artists choosing to distance themselves from the Afrobeats label. The singer expressed his support for Afrobeats, which he described as embodying the spirit of the Nigerian people.
In Pheelz’s view, Afrobeats represents a movement fueled by the spirit of Nigerians and Africans. While acknowledging that artists have the autonomy to either embrace or reject association with the movement, he personally identifies with Afrobeats and is proud to wave its flag.
“For me, I feel like it’s a tag for how we make our music. It’s a form of identifying what we do and where we are from. To some degree, it’s a form of collective decision by we Africans or Nigerians or the culture that let us move with this. So I choose to respect that collective decision and be part of that consciousness and boldly and proudly wave this flag.”
Pheelz addressed the notion of whether the “Afrobeats” tag is limiting, asserting that being classified as an Afrobeats artist doesn’t hinder his ability to explore various genres.
“Now is the time to even educate the world on what we have and what light we bring because the whole attention is on us. This is the time to teach, collaborate, and come together to save this light,” Pheelz comments on the cases of artists rejecting the Afrobeats tag.
In the interview, Pheelz shared the exciting story of how he landed a collaboration with American R&B superstar Usher on his latest album, ‘Coming Home‘. Pheelz revealed that he wrote, produced, and featured on the track ‘Ruin’, which serves as one of the album’s lead singles.
For Pheelz, the experience was nothing short of surreal. Collaborating with an artist he idolizes and whose music profoundly inspires him was a dream come true.
Watch the full interview below: