Afro-depression — A Sub-genre?
“Afro-depression is a sub-genre of Afrobeats comprising the union of upbeat tempos, repercussions and drums in a rhythmically pleasant way to convey daunting messages about heartbreak, loss, deep sadness and frustration” or something along those lines is how I would expect a music magazine or even google to define “Afro-depression” as a sub-genre if it was.
Over the previous couple of weeks, discourse on Afro-depression and what it is has stemmed on various social media platforms and picked up even more after Nigerian music writer and singer Omah Lay released the deluxe version of his first studio album “Boy Alone”, which featured 20 tracks, with deep-seated lyrics that carry an air of yearning and questioning.
While perusing through Spotify, I stumbled upon a playlist titled after the possible sub-genre. The playlist curator’s choices made me realise that at the core of Afro-depression, the daunting message and storytelling in a song’s lyrics are masked by the grooviness of the beat, thereby distracting the listener who is motivated to dance to or bask in the music. Subsequently, listeners in retrospection, are encouraged to pause and empathise with the artist’s grievances expressed in their music by listening to it again, which may foster a deeper appreciation of the song.
One would assume that the newcomers in the Afrobeats music scene are the pioneers of Afro-depression. However, upon listening to this playlist, it became clear that Afro-depression has been around for longer than we may have realised, with discussions about it becoming more prevalent in 2023. While the newbies in Afrobeats can be credited with bringing this possible sub-genre to the forefront, it’s important to acknowledge that it has been around for quite some time, championed by the likes of Asa, Sasha, Tuface and many more
For example, Styl Plus’ “Imagine That”, a song from their 2006 album Expressions, contains lyrics about heartbreak and betrayal from a romantic partner. Yet it is conveyed with an upbeat tempo and the catchphrase “…forget about the blue day” is littered at the intro, post-chorus and outro of the song, almost as an attempt to make you forget the anguish of the storyteller.
A more recent example is Tems 2019 single, “Looku Looku”, which talks about the bouts of dealing with a promiscuous lover but is laced with catchy Afro-soul beats and rhythm.
Though Afro-depression is not an official genre in the African music scene and doesn’t seem likely to be made so soon, this is to give you an air of what it would sound like if Afro-depression was an official genre. Also, it is worth pointing out the skill with which Afrobeats artists convey necessary, heavy messages in the lightest ways.
I have linked the playlist here for an audio presentation of what this possible subgenre sounds like. Listen and vibe but do not become it for it is so easy to fall into the emotions of very catchy songs.
Thank you for reading.
Editor: Chisa Linto
