South African singer Tyla has voiced her concerns about the Western tendency to categorize all African music as Afrobeats. During her acceptance speech for Best Afrobeats Song at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday night, Tyla acknowledged the significant impact Afrobeats has had in opening doors for African music globally. However, she pointed out that it is incorrect to label every genre from the continent as Afrobeats.
Tyla, who represents the Amapiano genre from South Africa, said, “The impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world proves that African music can be pop music, too. This is so special but also bittersweet because there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats.”
She further emphasized the rich diversity of African music, stating, “Even though Afrobeats has led the way and opened many doors, African music is much more than just Afrobeats.”
Tyla concluded by celebrating her roots, “I come from South Africa, and I represent Amapiano and my culture,” while also giving a shout-out to her fellow nominees, including Afrobeats artists Tems, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Rema, and Lojay.
