‘I’m Not an Afrobeats Artist!’ Tyla After Winning MTV Award

South African singer Tyla has expressed her concern about the tendency of West Africans to categorize all African music as Afrobeats.

During her acceptance speech after winning the Best Afrobeats Song award at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday night, Tyla acknowledged the significant impact Afrobeats has had in opening doors for African music worldwide.

However, she pointed out that it is not accurate to label every type of music from the entire African continent as Afrobeats.

Tyla, who represents the Amapiano genre from South Africa, stated, “The impact that my song ‘Waters’ has had globally proves that African music can also be pop music.”

She stressed the diversity of African music, saying, “While Afrobeats has led the way and opened many doors, African music is much more than just Afrobeats.”

Tyla concluded by celebrating her heritage, saying, “I am from South Africa, and I represent Amapiano and my culture,” while also giving a shoutout to her fellow nominees, including Afrobeats artists Tems, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Rema, and Lojay.