Afrobeat
noun
Af·ro·beat
ˈa-frō-ˌbēt 
: urban popular music originating in Nigeria in the late 1960s that emphasizes percussion rhythms and features elements of jazz and funk and lyrics which are often strongly political
Examples of Afrobeat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Covering Al Green and collaborating with members of Parliament-Funkadelic, Talking Heads embraced R&B and Afrobeat influences while exploring more futuristic sounds and abstract lyrics on a trilogy of classic albums with British producer Brian Eno.
—
Al Shipley, SPIN, 26 May 2024
Tomorrow Comes the Harvest began in 2018 as a collaboration between Mills and the Afrobeat originator Tony Allen, Fela’s longtime drummer.
—Mike Rubin, New York Times, 15 May 2024
The project includes an array of sonic elements from Afrobeat and Afropop to amapiano to R&B, gospel, and hints of mainstream trap and pop.
—Emanuel Okusanya, Variety, 7 May 2024
Just like for Afrobeats right now, many of us don’t really work together.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Couples who are lucky enough to snag seats are served Nigerian food by owner-chef Ayo Balogun, set to the tunes of a record player spinning 1970s Afrobeats.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024
Gospel, Afrobeats, 1970s funk, and Sudanese soul rub shoulders on songs full of joyful rhythms and diaspora stories.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé honored the African diaspora and brought some friends with her, from the worlds of Afrobeats (Burna Boy, Tems, Tiwa Savage) and home (Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, 070 Shake).
—Jaelani Turner-Williams, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024
The band moved gracefully from Afrobeat grooves to soul-jazz balladry—including a handful of tracks from their upcoming second LP.
—Ryan Reed, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
Al Shipley, SPIN, 26 May 2024
Tomorrow Comes the Harvest began in 2018 as a collaboration between Mills and the Afrobeat originator Tony Allen, Fela’s longtime drummer.
—Mike Rubin, New York Times, 15 May 2024
The project includes an array of sonic elements from Afrobeat and Afropop to amapiano to R&B, gospel, and hints of mainstream trap and pop.
—Emanuel Okusanya, Variety, 7 May 2024
Just like for Afrobeats right now, many of us don’t really work together.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Couples who are lucky enough to snag seats are served Nigerian food by owner-chef Ayo Balogun, set to the tunes of a record player spinning 1970s Afrobeats.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024
Gospel, Afrobeats, 1970s funk, and Sudanese soul rub shoulders on songs full of joyful rhythms and diaspora stories.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé honored the African diaspora and brought some friends with her, from the worlds of Afrobeats (Burna Boy, Tems, Tiwa Savage) and home (Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, 070 Shake).
—Jaelani Turner-Williams, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024
The band moved gracefully from Afrobeat grooves to soul-jazz balladry—including a handful of tracks from their upcoming second LP.
—Ryan Reed, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Afrobeat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Afrobeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Afrobeat. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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