The last decade has seen African music grow into an indelible cultural force on the world stage. Genres like Afrobeats and Amapiano continuously set new precedents for global pop culture, dominating major music charts, social media crazes, and major music festivals and award shows. The Grammys, MTV VMAs, and American Music Awards have all added Africa-specific categories, and artists like Tyla, Tems, and Burna Boy regularly secure high-profile partnerships with brands like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and BOSS.
The influence of the continent’s distinct musical fiber is also noticeable in other genres, as artists and producers of all ilk have taken to incorporating popular African sonic elements into their own works. Beyonce’s 2019 album No. 1 album, The Lion King: Black Is King, is a chief example of this, famously featuring several popular African artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Busiswa, and Mr. Eazi. The likes of Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, and Omarion have also tapped African artists in recent years to co-craft massive pop records that bridge audiences. These cross-cultural collaborations have been part and parcel in the rise of African music to global dominance.
Rolling Stone Africa has compiled a list that traces some key musical collaborations between Africa and the world over the years.
"One Dance" - Drake ft. Wizkid (2016)
This was Afrobeats’ first foray into the global mainstream. Peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, on which it stayed for over 25 weeks, this single off of Drake’s acclaimed Views album was undeniably the biggest song of 2016. A smooth and bouncy track released at a time when Afrobeats was still a foreign concept to much of the world. Wizkid’s reserved vocal refrain mixed with Drake’s signature brooding poetics made it feel right at home in liberal arts dorm rooms, at European music festivals, and at Brooklyn basement parties, as it did on a Lagos night out. The influence of Afrobeats, Afro-house, and dancehall is sprinkled throughout Views, the biggest album of that year and of Drake’s career.
