Afrobeats singer Omah Lay has voiced his concerns about the state of the genre, claiming that many of his colleagues are imitating his distinctive style. In a recent interview with Billboard, Omah Lay asserted that he has pioneered a new sound within Afrobeats that others are now emulating.
"The artists coming out from Nigeria right now, not just Nigeria but Afrobeats in general, are taking a bit of my stuff—the stuff I started. Everybody's trying to copy something," Omah Lay said.
The singer, known for hits like "Soso," also expressed dissatisfaction with what he perceives as a dilution of the Afrobeats genre. He criticized prominent Afrobeats stars for shifting their focus towards commercial success and foreign appeal, which he believes is compromising the genre's authenticity.
Omah Lay highlighted the influx of South African genre amapiano into Afrobeats clubs as an example of this dilution. "I don’t think I am happy with what the pioneers of Afrobeats are doing right now. The front guys are watering it down by just chasing the bags," he lamented.
He further expressed disappointment that Afrobeats clubs are now dominated by amapiano tracks rather than traditional Afrobeats music. "I can’t remember the last time I heard a proper Afrobeats song. It’s now amapiano in Afrobeats clubs, not a proper Afrobeats song," Omah Lay added.
Omah Lay’s comments reflect growing tensions within the Afrobeats community over the direction and commercialization of the genre.
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