Burna Boy made his debut performance at the Grammy Awards, and his representatives highlighted that he is the first Afro-fusion artist to do so in a press release before the event. Although Burna is mostly associated with the genre Afrobeats, he has consistently referred to his music as Afro-fusion in an attempt to set himself apart. Other artists like Ghanaian singer Amaarae have also labeled their music as Afro-fusion.
South African host Trevor Noah made a lighthearted joke about Afrobeats before introducing Burna Boy, calling him a “Grammy winning sensation originally from Nigeria.”
Burna Boy’s performance featured energetic dancers and a backing band dressed in green, possibly as a tribute to the Nigerian flag. He wore a red rhinestone-adorned jacket with matching gray pants and a snapback, exuding confidence and joy as he represented his culture on the Grammy stage.
Burna then moved on to the modern song “City Boys” before captivating the audience with “Sittin’ On Top of the World,” where he brought out Brandi to perform her 1998 hit “Top of the World,” which is sampled in the song. 21 Savage, featured in the remix of “Sittin’ On Top of the World,” made his Grammy performance debut in an all red outfit to rap his verse alongside Burna Boy.
Burna Boy has received four nominations at the 2024 Grammys, making him the most nominated African artist. His nominations include Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance, and the inaugural Best African Music Performance. He won his first Grammy in 2021 for Best Global Music Album. His pre-recorded performance at the 2021 Grammys was partially filmed at Nigeria’s National Theatre in Lagos.