The African Giant Calls Foul
Burna Boy is not taking his Grammy loss lightly. After the award ceremony in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023, the Naija singer went on a social media rant, expressing his disbelief at the results. He had been a solid contender in the category for Best Global Performance with his song Last Last, but lost to South African artists Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode, and Wouter Kellerman, who won the trophy for their hit collaboration, Bayethe.
The self proclaimed “African Giant”, was vocal in calling out the Grammys for not recognising his hard work, and his sentiments were echoed by many Mzansi music fans. Popular tweep shared a screenshot of his Instagram stories, and many said that the Nigerian artist should have won instead of the South African talent.
Some shared that they had never even heard of the winning song, while others felt that the Grammys had not recognised the evolution of African music. Most agreed that Burna Boy had been treated unfairly, with one fan tweeting that the Grammys had chosen a song that “fits the stereotype of the ‘Africa’ they love to see”.
Burna Boy’s loss has sparked a debate about the fairness of the Grammys and the recognition of African music. It remains to be seen if the academy will take any action to address the criticism.
