Grammy winner Burna Boy has apologized for controversial 2023 comments, distancing himself from Afrobeats. Speaking candidly about his mental health struggles at the time, the Nigerian superstar now embraces the genre's unifying power in his latest album "No Sign of Weakness."
Nigerian Grammy winner Burna Boy has issued a heartfelt apology for his controversial 2023 comments dismissing Afrobeats, revealing he was "in a dark place mentally" when he made the divisive remarks that sparked heated debate across the African music community.
Speaking to BBC 1Xtra's Eddie Kadi on July 15, 2025, the "African Giant" acknowledged the pain his words caused and demonstrated remarkable personal growth in understanding the genre's global importance.
"I wasn't the happiest man in the world. I was in a dark place mentally," Burna Boy admitted, providing crucial context to his August 2023 Apple Music interview where he claimed Afrobeats "lacks substance" and criticized fellow artists for having “almost no real-life experiences.”
The original comments sent shockwaves through the African music industry. During his interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Burna Boy declared that 90% of Afrobeats was "mostly about nothing, absolutely nothing" with "no substance to it." He argued that most artists lacked meaningful experiences and that the genre focused on "a great time" rather than substantial content.
The criticism stung particularly because it came from an artist widely credited as a trailblazer who helped bring Afrobeats to global audiences. Many viewed his comments as undermining the very foundation that had elevated him to international stardom, creating a rift within the African music community that lasted nearly two years.
In his recent BBC interview, Burna Boy demonstrated remarkable self-awareness about his previous stance. "I got the point of the Afrobeats tag in that moment," he explained.
"I get it, and I apologise for that confusion."
The artist revealed he was initially resistant to having his music categorized under a single genre label, preferring to call his sound "Afro-fusion." He drew an analogy to illustrate his previous mindset: "The way I saw it, if you just put everything into Afrobeats, you're now comparing Socrates to Kendrick Lamar because they both said two things that rhyme, so they both must be rappers."
However, he now recognizes the strategic importance of the Afrobeats umbrella for African music's global expansion, comparing it to how hip-hop served as a unifying term before sub-genres like trap emerged.
Burna Boy's evolved stance shines through in his eighth studio album, "No Sign of Weakness," released July 11, 2025. The 16-track project features high-profile collaborations with Mick Jagger, Travis Scott, and Stromae, embracing Afrobeats more directly than his previous work.
"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.”
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