Paper short abstract:

Unlike other music forms, Afrobeats is often criticised for being just for having a good time and not spreading a message. This paper explores how Afrobeats nonetheless evokes collective memories that bands transnational audiences into affective publics on YouTube.

Paper long abstract:

Afrobeats is a contemporary music form that originated from West Africa and is currently taking the world by storm. It is an eclectic music form that incorporates a large variety of music genres. As a music form that inspires dance challenges on TikTok, dancing on the streets and dancing in the clubs, it is often criticised for lacking a message. This paper explores how this music form functions as a catalyst for the formation of socio-political collectives that cut across geographic boundaries. Taking a case study of two Burna Boy songs, the paper looks at the intersection of African popular music and digital platform affordances in the aggregation of transnational affective publics (Papacharissi, 2015). Based on a thematic analysis of the YouTube comments section of the songs, the study finds affective publics are formed through collective memories (Eyerman, 2002) that are evoked by the songs. The study concludes that on the one hand, Burna Boy’s imitation of revolutionary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti evokes memories associated with songs that inspire political consciousness. On the other hand, lyrics of the song, together with the images in the music video, elicits common sentiments associated with shared history and experiences. Although Burna Boy comments on the Nigerian experience in these songs, the collective memories bands audiences of different nationalities and ethnicities together.