By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
South African singer, Tyla has sparked a controversy concerning the place of Afrobeats in African music, when she distanced herself from the genre at the just concluded 2024 MTV Video Music Award.
While making her acceptance speech as the winner of the Best Afrobeats Award at MTV VMAs 2024, which held during the week at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, the award-winning singer described her win as ‘just so special but also bittersweet’, because she represents ‘Amapiano,’ not Afrobeats. Tyla added that “African music is so diverse’, and more than just Afrobeats.”
Thank you. MTV, my team, God, everyone, this is such a big moment for Africa and African music. The global impact that “Water” has had on the world proves African music can also be pop music. This is so special but also bittersweet, because I know there’s a tendency to group African artists under Afrobeats. It’s a thing and though Afrobeats has run things and has opened many doors for us, African music is so diverse, it’s more than just Afrobeats. I come from South Africa. I represent amapiano. I represent my culture. I want to shout out to all the Afrobeats artists in this category with me.”
Her speech on the night, however, has been criticized by popular OAP, Do2dtun,who accused the singer of not aligning with her musical identity “Aunty @tyla a.k.a am not Afrobeats, I am Amapiano. We have heard you but your song ‘Water’ is not Amapiano either. If you thought you were categorized in the wrong category, you should have given the award back or denounced the nomination”, Do2dtun wrote. But is it possible for Tyla to separate herself from being an Afrobeats singer? Your guess is as good as mine. The 22-year-old singer won the award for her major hit “Water” The music video has more than 230 million views on YouTube and almost 800 million streams on Spotify
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