Nigerian singer Divine Ikubor, known as Rema, recently discussed his decision to change his musical style for his sophomore album ‘HeIs.’
In an interview with Apple Music, the singer explained that he wanted to “switch it up” because he found Afrobeats becoming monotonous.
He noted the significant influence of the South African genre Amapiano on the Nigerian music scene in recent years.
Rema emphasized that Nigerian artists must avoid diluting Afrobeats to the point where it loses its essence.
“Afrobeats was getting boring
so I had to switch it up. They will keep applauding and we will be watering it down until some people start winning our afrobeats awards,” he said.
“With the success that has come to Afrobeats, I feel like we are listening to the voices of the world too much, ignoring the voices back home.”
Also at his recent album listening party in London, Rema urged Nigerian artists to reclaim their ownership of Afrobeats.
“We have to take our sh*t back, own it and protect it. The more we water it down, we make it easy for them to create it. Until some people start winning Afrobeats awards, we’ll then realize we’ve indirectly sold ourselves,” he said.