With the recent acknowledgment of Afrobeats to the entire world, the genre’s influence has been extremely strong; it's hard to deny that it isn’t good. The history of Afrobeats dates back to the 1960s in Nigeria, West Africa. Afrobeats is all about fusion. This genre is a mix of Fuji music, highlight, American jazz, and American funk, all fuzzed together by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. In recent years, the influence of Afrobeats is known and loved worldwide, even in K-Pop. This can be heard and seen in newer releases, so let’s talk about a few.

While it is only one year old, “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)” is an oldie but a goodie. TXT (Tomorrow x Together) dropped their EP titled The Name Chapter; Temptation, released in 2023, and began mainstream recognition of Afrobeats in K-Pop. “Tinnitus” is more of a faster beat, essentially requiring the listener to tap into West African dance moves. This song was certainly a breath of fresh air; this wasn’t something heard in K-Pop but often heard in K-Hip-Hop. One year later, TXT released, “The Killa (I Belong to You)” on their 2024 album, minisode 3: TOMORROW. This track was slower and more hip-swaying; it's great to see that some K-Pop artists are branching off from extreme pop, girl crush, boy crush, and light and cutesy concepts to try something different.

Honestly, this whole piece will be highlighting the extremely talented PENOMECO, an independent artist representing IF I, his label, and giving him his flowers. PENOMECO is a K-Hip-Hop artist who is a trailblazer that is blurring the borders of East Asian and African music. He's an artist that creates your regular pop and hip-hop music, but he began to include Afrobeats in his work, and the results have been amazing. PENOMECO traveled to Nigeria to understand the culture, the musical culture, and everyday life. Upon returning to South Korea with his research completed, he dropped “BOLO” featuring YDG and “Shy (eh o)” in 2021 off of Organic, a compilation of two new songs. These two songs left listeners, myself included, gagged. Being a K-Hip-Hop listener, I was well aware these tracks wouldn't be the normal pop songs we’re used to, but to hear Afrobeats done correctly? Hats off to PENOMECO.

This leads me to highlight his most recent EP, Organic2 released in 2024. This album is all Afrobeats and upon first listen it was instantly added to my Spotify playlist. The track “AURORA” featuring Crush is the title song, and rightfully so. “AURORA” mixes both a well-known artist with a relatively new artist, creating what is quite frankly a masterpiece. This song is easygoing and inviting, making it a must listen. “SODA” is definitely something you'd hear at an African party. From its energetic beats to its heavy hitting drums to its simple lyrics, this makes it one of the best party songs I've heard to date. “SODA” makes you want to hit all common West-African dance moves, even if you can't. This track is so fun with high energy, guaranteed to make anyone add it to their playlist. All in all, PENOMECO is doing the thing, and he's doing it right. As I’ve mentioned he deserves those flowers. Check out Organic2 and comment your thoughts.