Nigerian singer Omah Lay has said that the creative direction of Afrobeats may be losing artistic depth as some musicians prioritise commercial success over originality.
Speaking during a recent interview, the award-winning artist said he fears that reduced creative effort is beginning to erode both the quality of the music and the culture it represents.
“The thing that I fear for Afrobeats, Nigerian music, is drifting towards a place where people are not putting in so much effort in the art anymore, and that is also hurting my culture,” he said.
Omah Lay criticised what he described as a growing lack of commitment to musical craftsmanship, arguing that some artists are no longer investing time in developing sound, structure and creative identity.
“People are just really playing with music these days and not digging into the sound, trying to improve the craft and the whole creativity around it. It’s just like quick money,” he added.
According to the singer, the shift is also shaping audience expectations and influencing emerging artists, potentially lowering creative standards across the industry.
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“Now the audience are used to a level of music, and that is what the new generation is growing into. So they are even doing worse,” he said.
While acknowledging Afrobeats’ growing international profile, Omah Lay stressed that global exposure should not be blamed entirely for the trend.
He described the worldwide spread of the genre as largely positive, announcing that African music is reaching new audiences.
“I don’t want to pin that on the globalisation of Afrobeats. That could be one of the reasons. But in general, it’s a good thing. Africa to the world, Afrobeats to the world is happening. People are getting to know us from our music,” he said.
He concluded by noting his optimism that the industry can strike a balance between global expansion and preserving artistic integrity as Afrobeats continues to evolve.