Afro-R&B fusion

Afro-R&B Fusion: The Captivating 5-Star Sound You Should Not Ignore Anymore

Ever since the explosive growth of the Afrobeats music genre, conversations around the music coming out of the genre, lacking substance in its lyrics and depth, have been ongoing for some time. While it is no news that Afrobeats sits as a genre that mainly centers around vibes, melodies, and danceability, many have neglected sub-genres like Afro-R&B fusion that exist as distinct sounds within the Afrobeats genre ecosystem.

How did this come to place? One would ask this, but if you look closer, you will see that rappers are blending rap and Afrobeats in a track in Nigeria, where the genre originated. We can generally refer to this as Afro-fusion, just as the sub-genre appeared in Burna Boy’s last album, I Told Them, on Apple Music. With “Afro-Fusion” in the genre section, it’s clear that some tracks from the album are a mixture of Afrobeats and other genres, like the song of the album, Sitting On Top Of The World, featuring American rapper 21 Savage. 

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Among these fusions, one of them is heavily overlooked in Nigeria, one that many don’t even pay attention to, and that is the fusion of Afro and R&B. This genre fusion mixes smooth, soulful elements of core rhythm and blues with emotions and a very different pattern that comes from Nigeria or even other parts of Africa, from the melodic phrasing in the soulful vocals with incorporation of Nigerian dialect and pidgin, in a slow or mid-tempo instrumental beat production; Afro-R&B fusion is made.

I’m sure your mind is taking you back to songs you have heard with the description I just made, right? Yes, this style has been around for a very long time, from classic songs like Eya Adaba, Bibanke, Eyo, and Murder in the USA in Asa’s precious discography to evergreen songs such as Olufunmi and Imagine That from the legendary Styl-Plus collective. This shows how Afro-R&B fusion has been around from the early days down to the present time, where we even have it around us more.

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Now, the fusion is right at our front. A few people noticed it from the heavy R&B influence sneaking into Wizkid’s essential Made in Lagos album in tracks like True Love, the global smash hit Essence, Steady, and more. It can even be heard on the pure mix of Afro and R&B on Tems’ debut album, Born In The Wild, a fusion that Tems is not new to dishing out like she did on her tracks on her previous EPs, like the global hit Higher, The Key, and Crazy Things.

The truth is, Afro-R&B fusion isn’t some distant, experimental concept; it’s been woven into the very fabric of our soundscape for generations, whispering its presence in plain sight. Yet, despite its deep roots and undeniable resonance, it remains overlooked.

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It is essential for this genre to be taken seriously because it is a vital part of the globalization of Afrobeats.

Just look at Tems’ Love Me Jeje off her debut album Born In The Wild, which won the category of Best African Music Performance at the 2025 Grammys, and the number of units she has sold in the US.

Look at how Wizkid’s Essence opened the ears of many foreigners to Afrobeats during the pandemic, or the soulfulness on Omah Lay’s Soso crafted in his debut album Boy Alone. Consider the global smash hit of Afro-soul Love Nwantiti by CKay, alongside Libianca’s People taking over the year in 2023.

This Afro-R&B fusion is destined to take Afrobeats to the next level; it’s clear, the testimonies are there, and many more artists are doing it more.

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