The new weekly Top 20 from Official Charts is a landmark moment for Afrobeats, whose growing influence on popular music culture is blowing up across the globe.
This week sees the launch of the first Official UK Afrobeats Chart – a new Top 20 weekly rundown highlighting the fast-rising Afrobeats scene in the UK. This launch is initiated by the celebrated festival Afro Nation and compiled by the Official Charts Company.
Understood to be one of the world’s first official charts for the genre, the Official UK Afrobeats Chart is to be compiled using UK sales and streaming data from over 9,000 outlets, incorporating audio and video streams, downloads and physical sales.
Driven by a growing community of independent and major label artists, the Official UK Afrobeats Chart is one of the world’s first official charts for the genre.
The UK’s biggest Afrobeats artists
The top 20 Afrobeat artists from the last 12 months have also been revealed with J Hus and Burna Boy topping the list
London rapper J Hus tops the power list; the 24-year old landed his first Number 1 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart with Big Conspiracy back in January. The album is on its way to gold-certified status with Top 5 single Must Be proving its most popular track, amassing over 38m UK streams to date.
Nigerian artist Burna Boy is in second place – his biggest Afrobeats track of the period is Ye, while he also appeared alongside Stormzy and Ed Sheeran on the Number 1 single Own It, which has racked up over 1.1 million combined UK chart sales to date.
See all Top 20 on Deezer here
BIG news: This week we're launching the first ever Official UK Afrobeats Chart in collaboration with @AfroNation! Full story ⬇️ #AfrobeatsChart https://t.co/WcKUWsKyns
— Official Charts (@officialcharts) July 21, 2020
The very first chart will be unveiled in a special ‘The Official UK Afrobeats Show’ on BBC Radio 1Xtra on Sunday 26th July featuring a range of hosts and artists from around the world.
The Top 20 chart will be published every Sunday thereafter via a weekly Spotify ‘Official UK Afrobeats Chart’ playlist, along with a bonus slot to spotlight a new release for listeners to discover.
The Afrobeats community on the launch of the Official UK Afrobeats Chart
Nigerian singer and rapper Rema:
“It’s a great thing to witness Afrobeats finally receiving the international success and recognition it deserves. Afrobeats is more than just a genre to me, it’s part of my identity, my culture, it’s in my blood and I’m honored to be a part of the movement.”
UK Afrobeats legend Mista Silva:
“I believe that the rise of Afrobeats has played a massive role in shaping the music scene within the UK & across the globe. For the last 10 years, it has inspired, confidence in identity, confidence in culture & pushed the boundaries of the music industry. It’s beautiful to see the growth & exciting to see where it goes.”
Ghanaian singer-songwriter King Promise:
“As someone who has seen Afrobeats grow and grow around the world, hearing the news of the Official UK Afrobeats Chart is an honor. Our culture has been making waves across the globe, and to see this opportunity for new, emerging, and loved artists to elevate to new levels is a joy. Can’t wait to make a mark on those charts over the coming weeks, months, and years ahead so stay tuned!”
Rising Nigerian favorite Oxlade:
“Afrobeats is currently one of the most exciting genres out there now, it’s an amazing feeling being part of the history and to be recognized by the Official UK Afrobeats Chart as one of the important people elevating this genre to the world stage, an exciting time for Africa!”
Also Read: Afrobeats Revolution – The Rise of Music of African Origin!
No products in the cart.