In 2023, “Water” by Tyla became a global hit. It charted in multiple countries; including South Africa, the US, and the UK. In 2024, Tyla won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance for the song. Behind the hit record was Ghanian-British producer Sammy Soso. With that win, he cemented himself as one of the hottest Afrobeats producers of our era. Wanna learn how to make a potentially Grammy winning Afrobeats track? Stay tuned!ย
How To Make a Hit Afrobeats Song
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- Start with a BPM between 90 and 120
- Create a polyrhythm with prominent drums and bassline
- Use bongos, shakers, and toms for a callback to traditional music
- Embrace slang and even words you’ve invented yourself
- Lean into fusion genres by using hi-hats, autotuned vocals, etc.
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Inspired by Aaliyah’s “Rock the Boat,” “Water” took the world by storm in part thanks to its accompanying viral dance.
@thehallyuverse Love this fancam of “Water” by Tyla from the Kpop Random Play Dance in Sydney, Australia in collaboration with @luminova.dnce! Help tag the dancers! . . . #KpopDance #KpopRandomDance #KpopInPublic #KpopCover #KpopCoverDance #KpopCommunity #tylawater
Sammy Soso
A self-taught piano player, Soso credits Youtube tutorials with helping him learn the ins and outs of Logic Pro. In addition to “Water,” he’s also produced “Mr. Media” and “Is It” on Tyla’s 2025 EP, WWP. He produced Kali Ulchis’ “Me Pongo Loca” and “Diosa” on the album Orquรญdeas and he is currently working with Blackpink’s LISA.
Soso got his start in London’s Brixton Recording Studios, serving as a great example of how working in a professional music studio can help pave the path to success. Unfortunately for Soso, he is currently being sued by two of the co-writers of “Water,” who claim they were improperly credited and are owed additional royalties. Their reps claim that, โInstead of each producer getting [one quarter] of 50% (i.e., 12.5%) of the music publishing royalties (which would be customary), Awuku took 15% for himself, allocated 10% to each of Zucca, LoMastro, and Goufar, and gave 5% to Christopher Alan โTrickyโ Stewart.”
This is why split sheets matter. We reccomend coming to an agreement on percentages and credits before a session ends. Since this matter is going to court, it will now be settled by someone who wasn’t in the room, and reliant on everyone’s memory of a session that took place years ago. Don’t know what a split sheet is? Read this.
Fun Fact: Kali Uchis collaborated with Blackpink’s Jennie on the song “Damn Right.” Ulchis also collaborated with Ghanaian Afropop artists Moliy and Aamarae on the song “Sad Girls Love Money.” This just goes to show how globalized the music industry has become.
How Was Tyla’s “Water” Produced?
“Water” features a melody played on two synths: Morphine and Lounge Lizard.ย It features contains a second, light piano melody and a subtle bass.The chorus has a low background bass in addition to a more prominent, bouncy drum pattern.
What is Afrobeats?
The above video gives a quick, condensed history of the terms “Afrobeat” and “Afrobeats.” It’s important to note that “Afrobeats” is an umbrella term. There are differences between Nigerian Afrobeats and Ghanian Afrobeats, for example. Genres like hi-life, afro dancehall, and even amapiano are often lumped into the afrobeats category.
What Makes An Afrobeats Song?
When it comes to Afrobeats, much of the instrumentation is inspired by traditional instruments. ย Start with a BPM between 90 and 120. Create a dynamic beat featuring shakers, a kick, bongos, and / or toms. Fusion Afrobeats genres like the more aptly titled “Afrotrap” can feature hi-hats and autotuned vocals.
Polyrhythms are a defining feature of the traditional music of SubSaharan Africa, and Afrobeats continues this tradition. It’s a major part of why it’s so hard to resist dancing to it. Here is a brief explanation of polyrhythms:
“I see Afrobeats as music which makes the heart beat. And it’s funky, and hyped, and energetic and young.”
In Afrobeats, drums are more important than melody, and lyrics are often the least important musical element. Afrobeats songs often feature lyrics in English, Patois, Pidgin, Yoruba, etc. However in Rema’s Genius video for “Dumebi,” he even notes that some of the song’s lyrics are gibberish that he meant to take out later before ultimately deciding to leave in. Most people have no idea what their favorite Afrobeats singer is saying. So, feel free to get creative with local slang and phrases only your best friends will understand. No need to stick to language you can only find in Webster’s dictionary.
What Makes An Amapiano Song?
โI know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeat[s]…even though Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse, it is more than just Afrobeats. I come from South Africa. I represent amapiano. I represent my culture…”
Amapiano is a combination of house beats and Hip-Hopย that can be traced back to 1990s South Africa. The Zulu term translates to “the pianos.” Tyla sparked controversy after saying she is not an Afrobeats artist. Instead, she highlighted her South African heritage and Amapiano. So what is the difference between Afrobeatss and Amapiano?
Whereas they may or may not appear in Afrobeats, shakers are the norm in Amapiano. Melody is a more prominent part of the genre compared to the current era of Afrobeats, so be sure to add a piano melody. The average BPM for each genre is comparable. Start with a BPM between 108 – 115 for Amapiano. There is a distinct log drum sound that is essential to the Amapiano genre. South African DJ and producer Mdu Aka TRP is credited for creating this log drum.ย Producer Charles Burchell explains the Amapiano log drum as “a hybrid tone somewhere between a kick drum, 808, synth bass, and actual log drum percussion.”
In addition to mastering this log drum, try adding a complimentary bass line. Lastly, be sure to prioritize syncopated rhythms and add in intermittent vocal chops or whistles. Similar to Afrobeats, rhythm is much more important than lyric content in Amapiano. Don’t hesitate when it comes to experimentation or making new fusion genres, that’s how Afrobeats and Amapiano came to life! Whether you’re a producer or a recording artist, the Bay Eight team is happy to help you make an Afrobeats banger.
