Reality TV star and musician, Nadia Nakai recently shared her thoughts on why Amapiano, a popular South African music genre, lacks superstars.
In a podcast episode with former labelmate Tshego, Nadia discussed the rapid turnover of Amapiano artists and the challenges of building a loyal fan base.
According to her, the fast-paced nature of the industry makes it difficult for fans to connect with artists beyond their music. “A lot of the Amapiano artists are churned out too quickly,” she said.
Nadia pointed out that many artists release a hit song and then disappear, only to be replaced by another artist with a similar trajectory, “You can’t even attach yourself to them anymore.”
When asked who is to blame for this phenomenon, she attributed it to a combination of factors, including a lack of originality and the listeners’ short attention span.
She noted that the rise of TikTok has led to decreased attention spans, making it harder for fans to engage with longer songs. “Piano songs are six minutes, there’s nineteen people on it… I can’t attach myself to this person,” she explained.
She also criticised the lack of originality in Amapiano, citing artists like Daliwonga, who she believes sounds similar to Sir Trill. “I’m like, is this Daliwonga, is this Sir Trill? Okay, I don’t know what’s going on,” she said.
In her opinion, what sets superstars apart is having a persona or story beyond their music.
“You become more of a superstar when there’s more to talk about you other than the music,” she said.
“A lot of the Amapiano artists are churned out too quickly. You can’t even attach yourself to them anymore.” – @Nadia_nakai breaks down why she feels Amapiano doesn’t have superstars. pic.twitter.com/F124R3E8hT
— SLIKOURONLIFE (@slikouron) May 5, 2025
The podcast sparked mixed reactions online, with some agreeing with Nadia’s assessment and others questioning her credibility to make such claims. While some fans appreciated her insights, others felt she wasn’t the right person to critique the Amapiano industry.
