Teller Report

"You could tell there was a superstar on stage"

8/11/2023, 12:16:55 PM

Highlights: Afrobeats is a music genre that has become popular all over the world in recent years. "I think it's because there's speed and excitement and it's so easy to keep up with the rhythm," says Swedish artist Blizzy. Kulturnyheter's reporter Mariana Benyamin Sir is on site at Way out west in Gothenburg and she describes an audience that was on the scores even before the Nigerian afrobeats artist Wizkid had gone on stage. "You could tell there was a superstar on stage," she says.

Thursday evening at Way out west ended with an acclaimed concert with afrobeats star Wizkid. Afrobeats is a music genre that has become popular all over the world in recent years. "I think it's because there's speed and excitement and it's so easy to keep up with the rhythm," says Swedish artist Blizzy.


Kulturnyheter's reporter Mariana Benyamin Sir is on site at Way out west in Gothenburg and she describes an audience that was on the scores even before the Nigerian afrobeats artist Wizkid had gone on stage.

"You could tell there was a superstar on stage. The crowd was already screaming and cheering when the warm-up DJ played afrobeats hits before he went on," she says.

Way out west is not the only Swedish festival that has had an afrobeats artist as headliner. Last week, the Nigerian artist Burna Boy was the main act at the festival Big Slap in Malmö.

"Simply good vibe"

"Another example that shows the sound's popularity is that last year the US Billboard introduced a pure chart for afrobeats songs," says Mariana Benyamin Sir.

The interest in the afrobeats genre is great even among Swedish artists, one of them is Blizzy who has been inspired by the music style for several years. There are several ingredients that made him fall in love with the sound.

"The rhythm, the tempo, the speed and yes, it's just a good vibe," he says.

Hear Mariana Benyamin Sir and Blizzy talk afrobeats in the clip above.