The current buzz in the music world is that Afrobeats popstar, Ayra Starr has been snubbed by the Grammys, despite her remarkable run this year. But has she truly been snubbed, or is she simply not what the Grammys are looking for?

Before you hang me out to dry, hear me out. I’m a fan of the singer, and I think her music is exceptional. However, the beauty of her work lies in its authenticity to Afrobeats. Despite the growing number of African categories introduced by American music awards, it seems that the Grammys still aren't ready to give authentic Afrobeat the spotlight it deserves.

When you look at the number of Afrobeats Grammy winners so far, we see that the winners include artists like Wizkid, who has blended his sound so much that even his original fans question the mood and tone of his new style. His ultimate rival, Davido, remains true to authentic Afrobeats, delivering back-to-back vibrant hits. Sadly, he continues to rack up nominations without clinching a win. Of course, there is always an outlier—our outlier here is Burna Boy, who has stayed authentic to sampling Fela's music and, of course, won a Grammy for it.

Another critical point is that Tyla winning Best Afrobeat Artist of the Year over Ayra Starr at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) is not only disrespectful to Afrobeat legends but also proof that the Western world may not yet be ready to embrace authentic Afrobeats. That said, the Tyla vs. Ayra Starr competition is merely an extension of the long-standing Nigeria vs. South Africa 'pop-culture war'.

However the case may be, we need to continue making our music, letting international fans enjoy our music, and not become too attached to receiving recognition from the Western world for our culture. Let them continue celebrating the watered-down version of African music they call 'Afrobeat.' (rogue... haha.) So, did Ayra Starr get snubbed by the Grammys? Or perhaps the African pop star princess simply continues to make great, original music and that’s why we love her!