Over the last few years, Afrobeats has taken the world by storm. This year, the beloved music genre will break yet another barrier. On Feb. 4, Burna Boy will be the first Afrobeats artist to perform at the Grammy Awards.
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The “Last Last” phenom, who won his first Grammy in 2021 for best global music album with Twice as Tall following a nomination the previous year for African Giant, has become an Afrobeats icon. Widely acclaimed as a critical force behind Afrobeats’ international growth, Burna Boy’s reputation is worthy of recognition.
This year, he received four nominations: best global music album for I Told Them…, best African music performance for “City Boys,” best global music performance for “Alone” and best melodic rap performance for “Sittin’ on Top of the World” featuring 21 Savage.
Burna Boy’s Grammy performance announcement showcases how the genre has flourished since it became mainstream. It also reaffirms the work Afrobeats artists have put in has been worth every bit of effort.
Other highlights from the genre include when Wiz Kid became the first Nigerian artist to land the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for featuring on Drake’s “One Dance” and when Rema’s “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez joined the ‘billions club’ on Spotify as the first African artist-led track to hit a billion streams.
The 66th Annual Grammy Awards will occur Sunday, Feb. 4, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. CBS will broadcast the ceremony and be available to stream on Paramount+.
