Somizi Mhlongo has decided it’s time for a reality check.
The choreographer, radio host and businessman addressed the heated reactions coming from parts of Nigeria after South African singer Tyla walked away with a Grammy, beating three Nigerian nominees in the same category.
Calm but firm, Somizi made it clear he wasn’t there to insult anyone — just to call out what he sees as unnecessary drama.
“This Is Not a Backyard Party”
Speaking directly to the backlash, Somizi questioned what he described as a growing sense of entitlement around global awards.
In his words, the Grammys are not a local celebration where emotions or national pride determine the outcome.
They’re international, highly structured, and far removed from personal expectations.
His message was blunt: being nominated doesn’t automatically mean you’re owed the win, and nationality alone doesn’t qualify anyone for a trophy.
Why Tyla’s Win Hit a Nerve
Somizi suggested that the outrage went deeper than music.
According to him, the discomfort may be tied to the fact that Tyla is not Nigerian — and not just that, but a South African woman who beat Nigerian artists on a global stage.
He warned that public online fights over the award risk turning Africans into a spectacle for the rest of the world.
Instead of celebrating representation, it starts to look like infighting over limited recognition.
Protecting Davido’s Superstar Status
One of Somizi’s strongest points was about Davido.
He argued that dragging the conversation into bitterness actually undermines Davido’s stature rather than defending it.
To Somizi, Davido is already a global heavyweight who doesn’t need fans fighting battles that diminish the moment.
Every artist nominated, he said, earned their place — and any one of them could have won without controversy.
Numbers Over Feelings at the Grammys
Somizi stressed that the Grammys don’t operate on emotion.
They run on data, impact, reach and measurable success.
Love, loyalty and online outrage don’t count when decisions are made behind closed doors.
From his perspective, Tyla’s win was backed by facts — and facts, as he put it, don’t lie.
Clearing Up the Category Confusion
Another point Somizi was keen to correct was the category itself.
The award Tyla won was not strictly an Afrobeats category.
It was for Best African Performance — a much broader space that represents the continent as a whole.
He pushed back hard against claims that Tyla’s music isn’t African, reminding critics that South Africans connect deeply with her sound.
To dismiss it, he said, is to dismiss African diversity itself.
A Final Call for Perspective
Somizi wrapped up his message with a plea for balance.
Nigerian music, he acknowledged, is powerful and influential.
But placing it above all other African sounds only damages the collective beauty of the continent’s music scene.
His closing thought was simple: celebrate African success without trying to crown yourselves the gods of it.
