Afrobeats sounds and influences have grown in the U.S. market throughout the 2010s
Billboard has partnered with global Afrobeats brand Afro Nation to launch the first-ever United States chart for Afrobeats music.
The Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart will go live on Billboard.com on March 29.
The organization also made the announcement on Twitter:
The newest addition to the @billboardcharts is U.S. Afrobeats Songs, in partnership with @afronation. 🎉 https://t.co/2KUxdL6xHZ
— billboard (@billboard) March 22, 2022
According to Billboard's report, the chart ranks the 50 most popular Afrobeats songs in the country based on a weighted formula incorporating official streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of leading audio and video music services, plus download sales from top music retailers.
The reason for recognizing Afrobeats was also included in the report.
“The last decade has seen Afrobeats explode into a worldwide phenomenon, influencing culture and fashion across the globe and I am humbled to have made a contribution to growing the genre alongside many talented, passionate people,” Afro Nation founder, co-head of UTA London and Event Horizon founder Obi Asika said of the partnership in a press statement.
He also recognizes that there's so much more to do to raise Afrobeats' profile. he also remarks on how beautiful it is to have a platform "that reflects this growth and provides a platform for emerging artists from every continent to showcase their talent to new audiences.”
Afrobeats sounds and influences have grown in the U.S. market throughout the 2010s, through artists such as Beyoncé and Drake, and now, the genre has yielded some of the biggest success stories of the young decade — including songs like Wizkid‘s “Essence” featuring Tems, CKay’s “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” and Fireboy DML‘s “Peru.”