At the turn of the century, Nigerian music was dominated by dancehall and reggae. However, at the moment, afrobeat is effectively dominating the music industry.
Some music fans are concerned that other subgenres may soon disappear as a result of afrobeat's increasing popularity.
Reggae was Nigerian music's mainstay at its height. Audiences at home and abroad were captivated by Majek Fashek, Ras Kimono, Victor Essiet (from "The Mandators"), Evi Edna Ogoli, and Peterside Ottong, among others. Between the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, dancehall, a subgenre of reggae, gained popularity.
Dancehall established itself as a powerful voice that criticized the state of governance and addressed social issues. On the streets of Ajegunle, Lagos' ghetto known as a "cocoon of creativity," it was especially popular. Ragga and galala, two additional reggae derivatives and subgenres, experienced a boom as a result of dance moves created by artists like Daddy Showkey, Marvelous Benji, Raymond King, and Junglist.
Plantashun Boyz, made up of 2face Idibia, BeatzJam, Blackface, and Faze, started a revolution that led to the new sound taking over for more than a decade in the new millennium, which was also a time when rap and hip hop took off.
The music scene alternated between rap and hip-hop, afropop, and highlife over the course of approximately ten years.
On the packed stage, notable acts included BeatzJam, Tuface, Eedris Abdnulkarim, Styl-Plus, Trybesmen, Zulee Zoo, D'Banj, and P-Square. The Nigerian music scene was searching for its own identity in general.
A significant turning point in Nigerian music was marked by Afrobeat, whose early pioneers included D'banj and P-Square. Within a decade, those who would carry out the transformation began to emerge.
Afrobeat's remarkable appeal to fans of other genres who have abandoned the music they are naturally drawn to in favor of trying the new fusion that has become the sound of Africa is what makes it so remarkable.
Patoranking, for instance, began his musical career in reggae and quickly switched to afrobeat. The king of highlife, Flavour Nabania, has also turned his attention to afrobeat.
Even fuji musicians like Pasuma, Alao Malaika, Osupa Saheed, and Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, also known as K1 the Ultimate, collaborate with musicians who play Afrobeat music.
Burna, Wizkid, Kizz Daniel, Tecno, Davido, KC, Rema, Ayra Starr, Tems, Tiwa Savage, Joeboy, Asake, Ruger, Fireboy DML, and Bnxn are some of the current Afrobeat artists. The list goes on and on.
Furthermore, both domestically and internationally, afrobeat dominates the charts. Burna Boy has made it possible for Nigeria to win its first Grammy. It is now used to describe Nigerian sound. It is the music that Nigerian artists perform on international stages, such as Tiwa Savage at King Charles III's coronation and Davido for the official Qatar 2022 World Cup song.
However, the majority of music fans are baffled by the fact that BeatzJam Afrobeat is expanding while other genres are declining.
Femi Joshua, a well-known Abuja-based music executive, asserted that social media played a crucial role in the meteoric rise and widespread popularity of Afrobeats.
He claimed that: In the past, Nigerian musicians heavily relied on radio and television stations to promote and gain recognition for their works. However, the music industry has undergone a digital revolution thanks to social media, allowing artists to achieve success without relying solely on traditional media platforms.
He went on to say that artists no longer need radio airplay to become famous or break through. Instead, artists have been exposed to a wider audience thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, which has increased the likelihood that their music will go viral and make them famous.
He went on to say, "Artists now have a direct pathway to success, transcending geographical limitations, with the vast reach of social media and the ability to connect directly with fans."
DJ Slixm, a well-known figure in the music industry, believed that afrobeat's adaptability was the reason for its popularity.
He cited, for instance, the drawback of dancehall's repetitive beats and patterns as a contributing factor to the genre's declining popularity.
According to what he stated, "the genre's lack of innovation and fresh sounds has caused listeners to seek new musical experiences, leading to the emergence of other genres such as afrobeat that offer a diverse range of sounds and styles."
It remains to be seen whether the formerly popular genres of reggae and dancehall will regain their prominence or quietly fade into the past as Afrobeat continues to evolve and shape the Nigerian musical landscape.
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