Afro Nation and Billboard partner to launch Afrobeats chart

The development arrives two years after Afro Nation initiated the weekly Official Afrobeats Chart on BBC Radio 1Xtra, a move fuelled by the genre’s growing global acceptance in recent years. 

The Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart will rank the top 50 Afrobeats songs in the US based on official streaming data from leading audio and video music services, as well as download sales from top music retailers. The charts will aggregate data from subscription and ad-supported tiers on digital service providers.

“Billboard is excited to collaborate with Afro Nation on the launch of the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart,” Billboard senior vice-president of charts and development Silvio Pietroluongo said. “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.”

Afro Nation founder, co-head of UTA London and Event Horizon founder Obi Asika said: “The last decade has seen Afrobeats explode into a worldwide phenomenon, influencing culture and fashion across the globe and I am humbled to have made a contribution to growing the genre alongside many talented, passionate people.

“There is still so much more potential within the scene and the community that has grown around it and I believe it is vital that with Billboard we now have a US chart that reflects this growth and provides a platform for emerging artists from every continent to showcase their talent to new audiences.”

Generally concentrated in the West African countries of Nigeria and Ghana, Afrobeats is founded on traditional African sounds like highlife with pulses from hip hop, R&B and electronic music.

Over the past decade, the genre has become increasingly popular in the US and UK, with the likes of Nigerian artists Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy and CKay enjoying lengthy exposure on the charts. The genre has also prompted regular collaborations between African popstars and their American counterparts.