Burna Boy has apologised for controversial remarks he made about Afrobeats last year—comments that sparked backlash across the music world and among fans who felt he was undermining the genre that helped define his career.
In a 2023 Apple Music interview, Burna claimed that Afrobeats “lacks substance” and suggested many artists within the genre had “almost no real-life experiences.” The reaction was swift. Many saw the comments as a betrayal coming from one of Afrobeats’ biggest global ambassadors.
Now, speaking to BBC 1Xtra’s Eddie Kadi, Burna Boy says he understands why his words hit a nerve. “I got the point of the Afrobeats tag in that moment,” he said. “I totally get it and I apologise for that confusion.”
Burna, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, said the remarks came during a rough time in his life. “I wasn’t the happiest man in the world,” he admitted, describing himself as being in a “dark place mentally.”
What bothered him, he explained, wasn’t the genre itself but how all African music was being squeezed under one label. “I didn’t understand why people wanted my music to be inside one box,” he said. “If you just put everything into Afrobeats, you’re now comparing Socrates to Kendrick Lamar because they both said two things that rhyme.”
Despite that frustration, he’s since come to terms with the role Afrobeats plays in unifying and elevating African artists globally. That reflection is clear in his new album No Sign of Weakness, where he leans into Afrobeats while still blending his trademark mix of genres—Afro-fusion, dancehall, reggae, and hip-hop.
“I learnt to embrace the fact that I will always be different,” he said. “I’m not going to be the favourite, but I’m going to be the best.”
The album features a standout collaboration with Mick Jagger on Empty Chairs, a track that explores longevity and passion for performing. “Mick Jagger is the rock star,” Burna said. “Out of everyone in the world, he understood where I was coming from with this song.”
Currently touring across Europe and North America, Burna Boy says performing live is his true love—and his long game. “I want to do this until I die. I want to be like Coldplay or The Rolling Stones. Why don’t I see anyone who looks like me doing that? Maybe because they just don’t love it the way I do.”
With his apology and new outlook, Burna Boy seems to be turning the page—not just on controversy, but on what it means to represent a genre while pushing its boundaries.
