billboard has launched a new monthly column to highlight 10 of the best new Afrobeats (and its relatives) songs in a given month.
According to editors, the monthly publication, dubbed “Afrobeats Fresh Picks of the Month,” will honor emerging artists who are not only advancing the genre but expanding it beyond its conventional boundaries by incorporating hip-hop, Amapiano, R&B, jazz, and soul, as well as the growing influence and diversity of the music that is increasingly coming out of the African music economy.
For the month of February, the publication features songs such as Stonebwoy’s love-inspired single “More of You”, Pheelz’s feel-good, romantic jam “Pheelz Like Summer,” and Khaid’s sweet ode “Jolie. Songs by Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Libianca, Teni, Zinoleesky, and other artists were included in the list’s inaugural installment. See the complete list here: https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/best-new-afrobeats-songs-tyla-pheelz-asake-bnxn-fresh-picks-1235255685/
The launch comes months after Billboard launched its U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart in partnership with music festivals and global Afrobeats brand Afro Nation to highlight some of the best music coming out of the African music scene and impacting listeners in the States. 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.
“Billboard is excited to collaborate with Afro Nation on the launch of the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart,” Billboard’s SVP of Charts and Development, Silvio Pietroluongo said in a press statement released at the time of the launch. “As with much of the world, Afrobeats has grown tremendously as a genre in America, and we are proud to showcase the top songs and artists with this new weekly ranking.”
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.”
