“Correction, Not Collapse” — Tiwa Savage Speaks on Afrobeats Slowdown

Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has dismissed claims that African music is losing momentum, insisting that the industry is simply undergoing a necessary correction phase aimed at long-term sustainability.

Speaking as a keynote speaker at the Oxford Africa Conference, the singer explained that the recent slowdown following Afrobeats’ explosive global rise should be seen as an opportunity to strengthen the foundation of the industry rather than a sign of decline.

According to Savage, the reduced “noise” surrounding the genre’s rapid expansion has created room for stakeholders to focus on building the infrastructure needed to sustain African music on the global stage.

She compared the current phase to the evolution of other major genres such as hip-hop, R&B, and pop, noting that periods of correction are common in the growth of successful music industries.

Savage said there was still much work to be done within the African music space, but warned against interpreting the ongoing changes as a collapse.

“We now see that we have a lot to correct, but let’s not confuse correction with collapse,” she stated.