Afrobeats was never music. It is movement, it is energy, a culture that lives as loudly in fashion as it does in beat. The music videos of the genre in recent times have been such canvases upon which fashion designers, stylists, and artists converge to create spectacle that makes three-minute videos into visual fashion spectacles. From couture gowns to streetwear mashups, these videos show us that Afrobeats is not heard—it’s seen, dressed, and remembered.
- Wizkid & Tems — Essence
Wizkid’s global breakout song with Tems was paired with a video that was the opposite of gaudy excess. Shot in Ghana, “Essence” doubled down on subtlety: Wizkid with diamonds all over and open shirts, Tems with flowing robes and braided headpieces. Dressing to evoke both sensuality and cultural ease, the video toasted subtle luxury years before the term was used as a fashion joke. The muted colour scheme, muted lighting, and stealthily chic wardrobe placed African fashion not as exotic attire but as global chic.
- Tiwa Savage — Koroba
While “Essence” was subtle, Tiwa Savage’s “Koroba” was a standout. Daniel Obasi styled Tiwa through a series of ensembles from Nigerian designers such as Deola Sagoe’s imperial Komole, Bridget Awosika’s clean tailoring, and Tokyo James’ minimalist edge. The fashion captures not just Tiwa’s celebrity but the Nigerian sense of style as well in the way that it can oscillate from heritage to experimental within a verse. The attire is nearly as hyped as the music in this clip, each one a catalogue of local innovation.
- Tiwa Savage — Stamina (feat. Ayra Starr & Young Jonn)
With “Stamina,” Tiwa shows that fashion, too, can be fantasy. Toyin Lawani-Adebayo of Tiannah’s Styling imagines looks as more performance art: feather wings on bodycon pink, metallic tribal headpieces, and sculptural, dramatic ones. The costumes not only cover the performers but transform them into otherworldly beings. The collaboration between musicians and designers here represents the widening intersection between Afrobeats and African high fashion, where spectacle and sound converge.
- Tiwa Savage — Tiwa’s Vibe
A few years before that, Tiwa had been Afrobeats’ style queen. In “Tiwa’s Vibe,” she wore Burberry catsuits, lingerie-as-outerwear, and denim couture, mixing global brands with Nigerian fashion houses like Tubo and Vonne Couture. The styling was downright brash, with fur, leather, and sequins stacked over street-inspired choreography. It was a fashion statement that Afrobeats women were just as fearless with clothes as their global pop counterparts, reimagining the look and mood of African music videos.
- Davido — Feel
Davido’s “Feel,” one of the strongest visualisations on his Timeless album, blends heritage and high fashion. Against dramatic backdrops, styling blends luxury leather, custom embroidery, braided hair, tribal scars, and contemporary streetwear. Each outing accumulates details and textures, transforming Davido from a mere Afrobeats icon to a cultural icon. The video illustrates how the modern Afrobeats icons leverage fashion not only to bring ornamentation to their music but to anchor themselves within African identity as they attempt to appeal to global eyes.
Afrobeats videos are not merely backdrops for singles; they serve as catwalks, cultural stores, and storytelling tools. All of these five moments illustrate how fashion takes over the frame, constitutes the self, and turns music into a whole visual experience. When the beat falls, so does a look, and they together tell the story of a genre that gets the world moving.
READ MORE: Ashhomi House Presents Nigerian Fashion Brand IAMISIGO as Africa’s First at Copenhagen Fashion Week
