In other words, you don't have to limit yourself to approaching artists in one genre if you can write songs to match several. Furthermore, if you are a non-performing songwriter who wants to pursue opportunities for your songs to be placed with artists, having a diversity of skills expands your pool of prospects. But knowing what’s brewing in the public space will give you a creative edge in case you feel a need to mix things up or add a little spice to your work. Probably not for the mere act of doing the so-called “in thing.” You certainly don’t need to follow every trend, if any at all, in order to write good songs. With all that said, should you jump on the Afro-pop bandwagon? Top selling act, Drake, with the success of his Afro-pop influenced hit “One Dance” is one example, as well as breakout sensation Stefflon Don, whose hit 'Hurtin' Me' featuring French Montana, also has elements of Afro-pop. In addition, a number of musicians who are known for their R&B, pop, and even hip-hop hits, have also caught on to the Afro-pop wave. These include the likes of WizKid, who has also collaborated with Drake, and Davido Adeleke, who has several hit songs, including 'Fall,' in heavy rotation on radio stations in the U.S. Evidence of this can already be seen in the number of African-based artists achieving mainstream crossover success. Those are among the reasons why Afro-pop is viewed as the next big thing by many experts in music, some referring to it as one of the hottest genres in U.K. As you can imagine, this somewhat new music genre appeals to many ears around the world, due to the amalgamation of different sounds and the growth of internet access across the African continent.

Today, it is a mixture of dozens of genres, including hip-hop, house, funk, R&B, jazz, dancehall, reggae, and a number of traditional African sounds. Rising from Western Africa - predominantly Nigeria and Ghana - Afro-pop is an evolved form of Afro-beat, a sound which came to prominence in the 1970s. One of the current trends you might want to make note of as a songwriter is the emergence of the Afro-pop genre.

Whether you’re a hobbyist songwriter or someone who has intentions of reaping commercial success in the music industry, keeping abreast of songwriting trends is a good idea.

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