In a press statement put out ahead of Grammy night, Burna Boy’s reps noted that he is the first Afro-fusion performer to perform at the awards. Burna Boy made his Grammy Award debut.
While most people link Burna with the more popular Afrobeats genre, which is frequently a fusion of other genres like hip-hop, R&B, and highlife, he has long tried to set himself apart by calling his own music Afro-fusion. Other musicians, such as the Ghanaian vocalist Amaarae, have also been labeled as Afro-fusion performers.
Before Burna Boy, another African, hit the stage, the evening’s host, Trevor Noah, from South Africa, cracked jokes.
Before extending a warm greeting to the Grammy-winning sensation from Nigeria, he shot back, saying, “You know people say Afrobeats is new. Personally growing up in South Africa, I would get Afrobeats all the time for my mom every time I came home past my curfew.”
In what appeared to be an homage to the Nigerian flag, Burna Boy’s performance featured upbeat dancers and a backup band dressed out in green. Wearing a quilted jacket decorated with red rhinestones, matching gray slacks, and a snapback, Burna exuded confidence and happiness while showcasing his culture on the Grammys stage.
Burna transitioned to the more contemporary tune “City Boys” before introducing Brandi, whose 1998 smash song “Top of the World,” and stunning the crowd with “Sittin’ On Top of the World.”
The singer, who hasn’t performed live since the 1990s, signaled that she and Burna are the best couple in the world with her sultry singing while sporting a black trench coat, big clear spectacles, and gorgeous scarlet pumps.
21 Savage, who collaborated with Burna Boy on the remix of “Sittin’ On Top of the World,” emerged wearing an all-red outfit to deliver his verse. This duet on stage is 21 Savage’s first-ever Grammy appearance.