The Recording Academy, the body behind the globally acclaimed Grammy Awards, has come under fire on Nigerian social media after a recent post about Afrobeats sparked heated conversations online.
In a tweet published via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Academy celebrated the evolution of Afrobeats and highlighted three standout figures, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Rema, as the genre’s top representatives from 2010 to the present.
The post immediately ignited backlash from fans, music critics, and stakeholders in Nigeria’s entertainment scene who questioned the criteria and apparent exclusion of other major contributors.
Adding more fuel to the debate, the Academy also released a list titled “Top 10 Afrobeats Songs of All Time,” which includes:
- African Queen – 2Baba (2004)
- Do Me – P-Square (2007)
- Bumper 2 Bumper – Wande Coal (2009)
- Pon Pon Pon – Dagrin (2009)
- Azonto – Fuse ODG ft. Tiffany (2014)
- Ojuelegba – Wizkid (2014)
- Mad Over You – Runtown (2016)
- Maradona – Niniola (2017)
- Sungba – Asake (2022)
- Ozeba – Rema (2024)
The post read in part:
“From its popularization in the mid-2010s to current global, chart-topping dominance by the likes of Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Rema, the sound of Afrobeats is constantly shifting.”
However, the curated list quickly became a lightning rod for criticism, with many arguing that it underrepresents the genre’s complexity and fails to acknowledge other foundational figures like Davido, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, and Fela’s enduring influence through Afrobeat—not to be confused with Afrobeats.
Critics also flagged the list’s skew toward recent hits, suggesting that the selection lacked proper context or historical depth. Others saw it as another example of how global institutions often oversimplify African music trends and erase key cultural contributors in favor of popular names.
As online debates continue to dominate platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok, the Recording Academy has yet to respond to the growing criticism or clarify the basis for its selections.
For many, the controversy underscores a larger conversation around ownership of African narratives in global music spaces and who gets to define them.
💫 From its popularization in the mid-2010s to current global, chart-topping dominance by the likes of @wizkidayo, @burnaboy and @heisrema, the sound of Afrobeats is constantly shifting.
Explore the sonic evolution. ⬇️https://t.co/pgkgGMN5Js
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) June 28, 2025