According to the "Unavailable" hitmaker, the British media coined the term "Afrobeats" as an encompassing label to categorize the diverse range of music emerging from West Africa. He specifically linked the emergence of the name to the phenomenal success of D'banj's 2012 hit single, "Oliver Twist," which achieved massive popularity in the UK.
During the conversation, Davido clarified the distinction between "Afrobeats" and "Afrobeat," the latter being the pioneering genre created by the legendary Nigerian musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
He explained, "The word ‘Afrobeats’ the UK gave us that name when D’Banj had ‘Oliver Twist,’ that was like the biggest song in the country at that time, so they had to put a name on the genre. But Afrobeat is really Fela’s genre."
Davido's assertion highlights a common understanding within the Nigerian music industry that "Afrobeats" served as a convenient umbrella term for the various contemporary sounds emanating from the region that gained international traction, particularly in the UK.
This viewpoint suggests that while the musical styles themselves evolved organically within West Africa, the specific label that gained global recognition was, in fact, a creation of the British media in response to a significant cultural moment marked by the widespread popularity of a Nigerian song.