Quantcast

What will it take for Afro Pop to break into the American market?

WarmHeart

Because I said so!
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
1,287
Reaction score
Reactions
22,472 856 1,331
25,544
Alleybux
82,032
I think South African music has global potential with a few tweaks. South Africans are the most talented in my opinion especially when it comes to dancing and producing beats. I love Gqom and some Kwaito and House music. I think if the music had English lyrics the world would fall in love.
But I also noticed South African artists (except for the rappers) are very comfortable with their music staying local and don't really care for international recognition.

But anyway here's my take on what it would require for Afro-pop to become universal and break into the American market.

  • It cannot be a caricature of American music.
  • It would take a special type of Afro-Pop artist. This artist would have to be from America where they actually understand the pop culture well enough to represent both their culture and western culture.
  • It would have to be watered down a bit. Almost like Shakira Waka Waka. But I hate that because it seems too gimmicky and in no way displays the talent here on the continent. Many people would disagree with this but there needs to be some sort of compromise in my opinion. African music can sometimes feel very heavy in the sense that it is too cultured which makes it unrelatable to most people.
  • This Afro Pop artist would have to have a clear speaking English accent
  • The artist would have to have a very attractive image - very visually appealing and afro-centric at the same time.
  • The beats and lyrics would have to be very catchy and something you can sing along to.

I don't know that's all I can think of.

What are your thoughts LSA?
 
Last edited:

banksy212

Triggering fonts like fleas on a Cl*t,
Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Messages
9,706
Reaction score
Reactions
99,223 6,176 2,312
115,211
Alleybux
718,578
I want this Afro pop artist to have an african accent, it seems inauthentic when the person doesn’t have one
 

LilPennyGirl

Team Owner
Joined
Apr 28, 2020
Messages
6,911
Reaction score
Reactions
69,083 1,794 231
80,838
Alleybux
430,609
Considering the American pop lane has been forced closed and rap music is the only genre fully supported by suits it'll take alot.
 

WarmHeart

Because I said so!
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
1,287
Reaction score
Reactions
22,472 856 1,331
25,544
Alleybux
82,032
Considering the American pop lane has been forced closed and rap music is the only genre fully supported by suits it'll take alot.
American pop and Afro-pop are very different. Don't you think Afro Pop would bring something fresh and new to the industry?
 

LilPennyGirl

Team Owner
Joined
Apr 28, 2020
Messages
6,911
Reaction score
Reactions
69,083 1,794 231
80,838
Alleybux
430,609
American pop and Afro-pop are very different. Don't you think Afro Pop would bring something fresh and new to the industry?
It'd be nice, but suits won't let them freely dominate in American media. Afro Pop could grow a cult following though.......
 

LilPennyGirl

Team Owner
Joined
Apr 28, 2020
Messages
6,911
Reaction score
Reactions
69,083 1,794 231
80,838
Alleybux
430,609
Do you think that cult following will be mainly black Americans?
It's hard to say. Whatever genre black people consider cool draws the attention of others. In relation to Afro Pop the producer of Controlla and One Dance said he drew his inspiration from afro beats and reggaeton. If COVID magically didn't exist, I think music would've headed further under that influence.
 

Protea

General Manager
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Messages
1,419
Reaction score
Reactions
9,561 353 13
10,133
Alleybux
47,533
Well I think some music doesn't need to appeal or crossover to the international market because it might lose its authenticity if it does. It is that authenticity that makes it great in the first place. I think that might be what has South African artists like you said comfortable with having their music stay local because they know their market and that market understands and supports the music long term. Also helps that they have more control of their industry at home.

When most people think international they are thinking about mainly the American market which is a tricky market in itself and the musical palettes of its consumers are everchanging. I can only imagine the kind of tweaking required to break through at a pop level doing big numbers while still maintaining the authenticity of your sound plus trying to maintain the longevity of the genre. Something like singing in English could isolate your original audience.

Musical exchanges always happen so maybe lending the influence of your sound like beats or arrangements, songwriting etc to international pop acts would be the more sensible way to branch out.
 

WarmHeart

Because I said so!
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
1,287
Reaction score
Reactions
22,472 856 1,331
25,544
Alleybux
82,032
It's hard to say. Whatever genre black people consider cool draws the attention of others. In relation to Afro Pop the producer of Controlla and One Dance said he drew his inspiration from afro beats and reggaeton. If COVID magically didn't exist, I think music would've headed further under that influence.

When most people think international they are thinking about mainly the American market which is a tricky market in itself and the musical palettes of its consumers are everchanging. I can only imagine the kind of tweaking required to break through at a pop level doing big numbers while still maintaining the authenticity of your sound plus trying to maintain the longevity of the genre. Something like singing in English could isolate your original audience.

Musical exchanges always happen so maybe lending the influence of your sound like beats or arrangements, songwriting etc to international pop acts would be the more sensible way to branch out.

I don't know if you are into the whole new age/psychic thing. But it was mentioned in one of the tarot threads that in this decade there will be a new genre that will be Afro-pop infused with something else. So you're definitely onto something.

There will be 2 new genres and 1 of them will have a fusion of afrobeats. These genres will be created by black people and I’m seeing more black artists setting trends.
 

CarmenBella

Wu Tang is for the Children
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Messages
18,486
Reaction score
Reactions
110,173 10,712 16,963
106,212
Alleybux
4,000
It is never going to happen.

Americans are not into African music.

I do not understand the need for American validation. It is sad.
 
Last edited:

Chaotic Good

General Manager
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Messages
2,987
Reaction score
Reactions
22,183 307 129
27,651
Alleybux
65,820
As an African that was born and raised on the continent, even I am very picky with what African music I listen to.

I think South African music has global potential with a few tweaks. South Africans are the most talented in my opinion especially when it comes to dancing and producing beats. I love Gqom and some Kwaito and House music. I think if the music had English lyrics the world would fall in love.
But I also noticed South African artists (except for the rappers) are very comfortable with their music staying local and don't really care for international recognition.

But anyway here's my take on what it would require for Afro-pop to become universal and break into the American market.

  • It cannot be a caricature of American music.
  • It would take a special type of Afro-Pop artist. This artist would have to be from America where they actually understand the pop culture well enough to represent both their culture and western culture.
  • It would have to be watered down a bit. Almost like Shakira Waka Waka. But I hate that because it seems too gimmicky and in no way displays the talent here on the continent. Many people would disagree with this but there needs to be some sort of compromise in my opinion. African music can sometimes feel very heavy in the sense that it is too cultured which makes it unrelatable to most people.
  • This Afro Pop artist would have to have a clear speaking English accent
  • The artist would have to have a very attractive image - very visually appealing and afro-centric at the same time.
  • The beats and lyrics would have to be very catchy and something you can sing along to.

I don't know that's all I can think of.

What are your thoughts LSA?

I don’t know if English is really key to them being popular? I would argue that K-pop is somehow mainstream in America and they barely use English in their songs. Jerusalema is arguably one of the more popular songs last year and they don’t really use English. Maybe it’s down to a different blend of tunes and marketing.
 

veenyc

MVP
Joined
Apr 15, 2017
Messages
704
Reaction score
Reactions
6,278 182 81
6,361
Alleybux
10,900
afro pop did break into the mainstream
They still play Afro B - Drogba (joanna) on the radio and "Dont Rush"
Also Beyonce was singing on a whole gqom track with "my power"
 

Nanany17

MVP
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
697
Reaction score
Reactions
7,508 167 54
7,944
Alleybux
110,024
Why? So the 'others' could take over? We've seen what happened when black genres become mainstream.
 

Judging you

Yoruba.The real MVP
Joined
Oct 17, 2017
Messages
6,074
Reaction score
Reactions
39,478 2,899 2,362
37,176
Alleybux
539,485
South African music is considered South African House music not "Afro pop". South African House music can be called Afro - House i guess, though that 'Afro' category is generally West African music. Afro pop have gone mainstream with some of burna boy, davido, etc and some foreign west African acts. South African House has also gained American attention like the Beyoncé example and Jerusalema going viral including in America.
 

Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Messages
4,387
Reaction score
Reactions
20,389 205 79
21,858
Alleybux
161,315
Burna Boy's music has been use in GTAV online expansion commercials on youtube ads and TV commercials. With most of the comments asking for the name of the song despite the slight language barrier.

It's already crossed over here and there, a breakout hit would probably help. Or something like little Nasx old town road on Tiktok, where a song takes off as part of dance trend or challenge would help too.
 

zaworld

General Manager
Joined
Oct 15, 2020
Messages
1,215
Reaction score
Reactions
5,408 300 261
5,902
Alleybux
12,348
Lets put it this way puerto rico population is barely 4 million and has successfully outdone kpop and afro beats nigeria alone has about 200 million people and korea about 30 million plus the power to media somethings ain't mean't to be
 

Protea

General Manager
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Messages
1,419
Reaction score
Reactions
9,561 353 13
10,133
Alleybux
47,533
I don’t know if English is really key to them being popular? I would argue that K-pop is somehow mainstream in America and they barely use English in their songs. Jerusalema is arguably one of the more popular songs last year and they don’t really use English. Maybe it’s down to a different blend of tunes and marketing.
True English might not necessarily be the key but we could argue that with Kpop the sound and how they style and present themselves is largely influenced by western music styles and that's why it's more palatable to the American market.
 

Protea

General Manager
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Messages
1,419
Reaction score
Reactions
9,561 353 13
10,133
Alleybux
47,533
South African music is considered South African House music not "Afro pop".
We actually have Afro-pop as a genre in SA with the likes of Brenda Fassie, Mafikizolo, Kelly Khumalo etc pioneering it and it's still a big genre currently.
 
Last edited:

saywhatyouwant

Melaninaire
Joined
Feb 3, 2014
Messages
10,900
Reaction score
Reactions
124,570 5,835 617
137,329
Alleybux
454,508
I don't really care for Afro pop to crossover, especially if watering it down is what it takes. If it crosses over, I want it to do it in the same way as reggae or dancehall, a few 'pop' songs here and there but staying true to itself for the most part.
 

PASSPORT SIS

I'm back, wh0res!
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
21,271
Reaction score
Reactions
210,850 11,039 6,506
223,348
Alleybux
1,451,006
Idk but I love this song. I believe the artist is South African.



I also love Black Coffee (South African) who makes house music, perfect for workouts.
 

PASSPORT SIS

I'm back, wh0res!
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
21,271
Reaction score
Reactions
210,850 11,039 6,506
223,348
Alleybux
1,451,006
Lets put it this way puerto rico population is barely 4 million and has successfully outdone kpop and afro beats nigeria alone has about 200 million people and korea about 30 million plus the power to media somethings ain't mean't to be
Reggaeton is a Puerto Rican genre (derived from Jamaican music) but it became widespread in Hispaniola before becoming mainstream in the US. Meaning it had the backing of pretty much the entire Latin America (Spanish-Speakers) who liked the music. So it wasn't just PR artists, it was a collaborative effort from artists from countries such as Colombia, DR, Cuba, Argentina etc. who also started making reggaeton. Even artists from Spain in Europe now make reggaeton. It made so much noise in Latin America that it couldn't be ignored in the US, especially since there's a very prominent Latin community in the US. There's just over 35 million Mexicans alone, and 43 million Spanish speakers in the US.

Afrobeats artist in Nigeria generally make English-speaking songs yes but most of Africa doesn't speak English so it doesn't transcend across the continent the same way Spanish-speaking music transcends across Latin America where majority speak Spanish. Language plays a big factor when it comes to popularizing music.
 

AgnesGooch

Cool With You
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
65,574
Reaction score
Reactions
640,792 19,021 12,528
655,185
Alleybux
167,505
I can't see this happening. Maybe 1 song or 1 collaboration might become popular but the whole genre won't. When I hear clips of it posted on lsa, it all sounds the same, and I think of Carribean music or some type of Latin music. It is very fast paced. Reminds me of soca or something like that like 1 song and you've heard it all.

There was a brief time in the early 2000s and late 90s when Latin music was in and when dancehall had some mainstream collaborations. But that faded. So it is possible.
 

ALLOFTHIS

Team Owner
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
42,179
Reaction score
Reactions
185,059 4,466 2,068
221,852
Alleybux
859,227
Is there a thread on here for African music? The lady who braids my hair always is jamming to something with a nice beat. I need to ask for her playlist next time.
 

zaworld

General Manager
Joined
Oct 15, 2020
Messages
1,215
Reaction score
Reactions
5,408 300 261
5,902
Alleybux
12,348
Reggaeton is a Puerto Rican genre (derived from Jamaican music) but it became widespread in Hispaniola before becoming mainstream in the US. Meaning it had the backing of pretty much the entire Latin America (Spanish-Speakers) who liked the music. So it wasn't just PR artists, it was a collaborative effort from artists from countries such as Colombia, DR, Cuba, Argentina etc. who also started making reggaeton. Even artists from Spain in Europe now make reggaeton. It made so much noise in Latin America that it couldn't be ignored in the US, especially since there's a very prominent Latin community in the US. There's just over 35 million Mexicans alone, and 43 million Spanish speakers in the US.

Afrobeats artist in Nigeria generally make English-speaking songs yes but most of Africa doesn't speak English so it doesn't transcend across the continent the same way Spanish-speaking music transcends across Latin America where majority speak Spanish. Language plays a big factor when it comes to popularizing music.
Really back in the 2000 ask how many people who weren't jamaican know what shaggy or shawn paul were saying in there lyrics most probably still don't know the caribbean population was probably around 2 million in america around that time even
 

PASSPORT SIS

I'm back, wh0res!
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
21,271
Reaction score
Reactions
210,850 11,039 6,506
223,348
Alleybux
1,451,006
Sean Paul & Shaggy aren't the entire roaster of dancehall artists. They're just two very prominent ones who have some English-speaking in their music.
Really back in the 2000 ask how many people who weren't jamaican know what shaggy or shawn paul were saying in there lyrics most probably still don't know the caribbean population was probably around 2 million in america around that time even
 

whatevermeow

Starter
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Messages
365
Reaction score
Reactions
2,277 105 12
2,265
Alleybux
220
I don’t know if English is really key to them being popular? I would argue that K-pop is somehow mainstream in America and they barely use English in their songs. Jerusalema is arguably one of the more popular songs last year and they don’t really use English. Maybe it’s down to a different blend of tunes and marketing.
Kpop is not mainstream in America, it has a cult following. Just like it is with jpop and anime. The same thing can happen for afro pop they don't really need to change the language. As OP said the artists are not thirsty for western validation and I think it's better that way.
I don't want to hear a water down version of authentic music.
 

JojoBaker

Banana skirt dancer
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
1,961
Reaction score
Reactions
9,481 221 138
9,667
Alleybux
745
You started off by saying that it shouldn't be a caricature of American music and then went on to say it would need to be watered down. Re Afrobeats most artists already sing plenty of songs in English for the music to be able to break into the American market if audiences are interested. I agree with the font that said that language can have a big impact (although this isn't always the case) and singing in English is exactly what Shakira did to break the international market.

We also have to move beyond seeing breaking the US market as the threshold of success. Yes it's a big market with a massive music industry itself that is popular worldwide so it's something to enter the market but it isn't the definition of making it.

I also feel that you are kind of describing Jidenna. He's an Igbo-American artist who incorporates Naija swag into his aesthetic and some of his music. I would not call him afrobeats or afro-pop though, but what you are perhaps looking for is an American artist with parents from Africa to make it that represents their heritage, which isn't the same as the genre breaking through imo.
 

Zebulon77

zen by design
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
16,231
Reaction score
Reactions
97,394 4,681 3,447
97,199
Alleybux
3,560,152
IMO - I think afro-pop has a better chance in France or England than in America.
That said - as other fonts noted above - I think an afro-pop artist could gain notoriety in this nation doing a feature with an American artist. That's about it.
I read a couple of years ago that the South Korean government spent billions to push K-Pop globally. That was one of the major motivations for black American producers going over to South Korea. They were paid top dollar to produce/write songs/beats for those acts.
Short of an African government spending the kind of money the South Koreans spent I just don't see that it could ever happen.
 

CarmenBella

Wu Tang is for the Children
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Messages
18,486
Reaction score
Reactions
110,173 10,712 16,963
106,212
Alleybux
4,000
IMO - I think afro-pop has a better chance in France or England than in America.
That said - as other fonts noted above - I think an afro-pop artist could gain notoriety in this nation doing a feature with an American artist. That's about it.
I read a couple of years ago that the South Korean government spent billions to push K-Pop globally. That was one of the major motivations for black American producers going over to South Korea. They were paid top dollar to produce/write songs/beats for those acts.
Short of an African government spending the kind of money the South Koreans spent I just don't see that it could ever happen.


K-Pop is not music, it is studio and factory produced american "music" performed by Koreans with extensive plastic surgery. It is a gimmick. Their is nothing artistic about the genre.

It is musical Hello Kitty (I know Hello Kitty is Japanese).

The Jamaican government did not have to spend a dime for Jamaican music to become international. They let their music speak for itself. Additionally, dancehall is still popular in countries that do not have a Caribbean population.

If the music is good you do not have to try so hard to appeal to different audiences. Even Beyonce could not make Afro beats happen in America. Perhaps those artists should concentrate on being artists and creating good music instead of seeking American validation.
 
Last edited:

Similar Threads

Trending Threads

News Alley

Ask LSA

General Alley

Top Bottom