Burna Boy Makes Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People In The World

Afrobeat sensation, Burna Boy has been named as one of the top 100 Most Influential People of 2024 by Times Magazine.

According to the magazine, the TIME 100 is comprised of individuals who have significantly impacted the narratives shaping the year.

In a statement on Wednesday, April 17, Times magazine said: “We spend months discussing who belongs on the TIME100, the people who we believe most changed the stories that define the past year.

In a heartfelt tribute to Burna Boy, Grammy-winning artist Angelique Kidjo praised his groundbreaking contributions to African music and culture.

She said: “Ten years ago or so when young African musicians would come to me for advice, I would tell them, ‘You don’t need to mimic American artists! The world needs the amazing richness and beauty of our traditional African music and our culture.

“This land is where most of modern music comes from. This source of inspiration is inexhaustible. Its freshness and its elegance will get the world’s attention for sure.’

“Burna Boy has made that vision a global reality. Inspired by the fantastic drums of Nigerian folk music, and studied in the craft of the great African singer-songwriters, he follows in the footsteps of Fela Kuti—the internationally celebrated Afrobeats artist and activist.

“Burna Boy’s deeply original flow and his signature groove have conquered the world with an impressive series of firsts:

“in 2023, he became the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium, and in 2024, he became the first Afrobeats artist to sing at the Grammys.

“He is history in the making. Now a whole generation of young people from the continent is looking up to him.”

Burna Boy’s global impact extends beyond the music industry. Recently, he was featured on Essence Magazine’s list of the World’s Sexiest Men of the Moment, alongside other prominent figures.

Essence Magazine praised his commanding stage presence, impeccable style, and undeniable talent, affirming his status as a cultural icon.