First ever Afrobeats chart launches in the UK

The world's first Afrobeats chart is launching in the UK this week.

On Sunday afternoon, Radio 1Xtra will countdown a Top 20 of the most popular songs from the Afrobeats genre.

Afrobeats - which is also known as Afro-pop and Afro-fusion - is the name given to pop music that draws on the sounds and style of West Africa.

According to the Official Charts Company, the most popular Afrobeats artist currently is J Hus.

What is Afrobeats and where does it come from?

D'Banj was one of the first music stars to chart in the UK with an Afrobeats song

Afrobeats is a musical movement which developed out of Nigeria in the early 2010s.

The Official Charts Company describes Afrobeats as a celebration of African culture: "Born from joyous celebrations across Africa, the Afrobeats genre represents the spirit of a people and a continent, welcomed around the world and a key component in the sound of modern culture."

Eddie Kadi - who is one of the hosts of the brand new Afrobeats charts show - told Newsround: "Afrobeats is a celebration of all the different sounds across Africa.

"Everyone has their own take on it and many artists have decided to mix it with their sounds of RnB and hip-hop but the main foundation of it is the African sound."

"We are here to celebrate a sound that has influenced so many artists and educate those who do not understand the sound of Afrobeats and how it varies," he added.

Fuse ODG (pictured) has said Afrobeats provide the opportunity to "show the world the more beautiful side of Africa"

The first Afrobeats song to make a real impact in the UK charts was D'Banj's 2012 hit Oliver Twist, which reached number nine.

Since then the genre has blurred between lots of different sounds including influence from the West Indies, London and West Africa.

Fuse ODG, for example, came on to the scene in 2013 with his chart smashing songs Antenna and Million Pound Girl.

He was born in London but he grew up in Ghana and attributes his sound to both places.

In 2016, rap artist Drake featured on Afrobeats artist Wizkid's song, One Dance, which hit the number one spot all over the world.

By 2019, Afrobeats artists had collectively spent 86 weeks in the Official Chart Top 40, up from 24 weeks in 2017.

Who are the biggest Afrobeats artists?

According to the Official Charts Company, J Hus is the most popular Afrobeats artist of the past 12 months

To celebrate the start of the Afrobeats chart, the Official Charts Company has compiled a list of the most popular artists from the last 12 months.

It has based the list on the number of UK sales and streaming data from sites including Spotify and Apple Music.

London rapper J Hus is top of the list. The 24-year-old landed his first Number 1 on the UK's Official Albums Chart with Big Conspiracy back in January.

Other popular artists include Burna Boy, NSG, YXNG Bane, Young T & Bugsie and Not3s.