With the impending release of his album “Morayo,” Nigerian superstar Wizkid has sparked a debate within the music industry. In a surprising move, Wizkid has publicly distanced himself from Afrobeats, the genre that has propelled him to international acclaim for nearly two decades.

Wizkid’s lengthy criticism went beyond simply requesting not to be labeled an Afrobeats artist. He urged fans expecting traditional Afrobeats or music reminiscent of his earlier work to forgo listening to his new album altogether. This isn’t the first time a prominent Nigerian artist has disassociated themselves from Afrobeats. Burna Boy, during promotion for his album “I Told You…”, made similar pronouncements to Zane Lowe on Apple Music Radio. Burna Boy not only rejected the Afrobeats label but went further, questioning the genre’s very existence and dismissing it as “senseless music.”

While Burna Boy’s comments drew significant backlash, Wizkid’s received a more muted response. However, the question remains: is this a growing trend within Nigerian Afrobeats?

It’s undeniable that the music of both Wizkid and Burna Boy is heavily influenced by Fela Kuti, the legendary pioneer of Afrobeat (a distinct genre separate from the modern-day Afrobeats). This raises the question: why are these artists, who have achieved immense success within Afrobeats, now seeking to separate themselves from it?

Looking beyond Afrobeats, we see numerous established artists comfortably exploring other genres without abandoning their original identities. Take Beyoncé, a pop icon who has experimented with country music while still maintaining her pop star status. Her past successful forays into house music and even Afrobeats haven’t prompted declarations of her no longer being a pop artist. So why the disconnect with Afrobeats artists?

This is the crux of the current debate. Is this a growing trend, or simply a case of individual artistic evolution? Only time will tell if this becomes a defining characteristic of Nigerian Afrobeats or remains an anomaly.