Joeboy says Afrobeats sheds gimmicks for roots

A vibe shift is shaking Afrobeats in Lagos, and the talk onstage framed it as a cleanup that ditches flashy shortcuts and pushes the sound back toward its roots.

Afrobeats reset talk in Lagos

• Joeboy told Lagos fans that Afrobeats is recalibrating itself.
• During a Valentine’s Day concert, he packed out the venue.
• Joeboy said the genre is scrubbing off watered-down elements.
• His take framed it as real music reclaiming space.

Pushback on genre mashups

• Critics have side-eyed heavy cross-genre blending for a while.
• That wave, according to detractors, muddied Afrobeats’ core vibe.
• Recent chatter paints the moment as a return to basics.
• Supporters read the shift as substance beating stage tricks.