“The new generation is even doing worse” — Singer, Omah Lay raises concern over direction of Afrobeats

Nigerian singer Omah Lay has shared his concerns about the current state of Afrobeats, saying the genre may be losing its depth.

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Speaking in a recent interview on ViewsFrance, the singer said he fears that many artistes are no longer putting enough effort into the craft.

According to him, the focus now seems to be more on making quick money than creating meaningful music.

“The thing that I fear for Afrobeats… 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.

He added that many artistes are no longer taking time to develop their sound or improve creatively.

“People are just really playing with music these days and not digging into the sound… It’s just like quick money,” he stated.

Omah Lay also pointed out that this shift is beginning to influence both listeners and upcoming artistes.

“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 added.

While acknowledging the global growth of Afrobeats, he clarified that he doesn’t entirely blame international exposure for the change.

He described the global recognition of African music as a positive development, noting that it has helped more people connect with the culture.

However, he stressed the need for a balance between global success and maintaining quality and creativity within the industry.