Rema on Changing Sound in New Album Due to Boredom with Afrobeats

Rema, also known as Divine Ikubor, a Nigerian artist, switched his sound for his latest album ‘HeIs’ and explained the reason behind it.

In an interview with Apple Music, the ‘Calm Down’ singer mentioned that he made the change because he found afrobeats monotonous.

The Nigerian music industry has seen an increase in the influence of the South African genre amapiano in recent times.

Rema expressed that Nigerian artists should not dilute afrobeats and lose its essence.

He stated, “Afrobeats was getting boring so I had to switch it up. They will keep applauding and we will be watering it down until some people start winning our afrobeats awards.”

Rema emphasized the need for Nigerian artists to reconnect with the roots of afrobeats and protect its authenticity.

During his album listening event in London, he called for Nigerian artists to uphold and safeguard their unique style.

He asserted, “We have to take our sh*t back, own it and protect it. The more we water it down, we make it easy for them to create it. Until some people start winning Afrobeats awards, we’ll then realize we’ve indirectly sold ourselves.”