Nigerian singer Rema, also known as Divine Ikubor, has shared his reasons for changing his musical style on his new album, HeIs.
In an interview with Apple Music, Rema revealed that he felt afrobeats was becoming monotonous and needed a fresh approach.
He noted that the genre was getting diluted due to the rising influence of South African sounds like amapiano in Nigeria. “Afrobeats was getting boring, so I had to switch it up. We’re risking watering it down if we don’t innovate,” he said.
Rema also expressed concern that Nigerian artists are losing their grip on afrobeats by overly catering to global trends, rather than focusing on their roots.
At a recent album listening event in London, he urged Nigerian artists to reclaim and protect the essence of afrobeats, warning that failing to do so could lead to losing their cultural edge.
