Shatta Wale’s ‘My Level’ is afro-dancehall; not highlife – Prof. John Collins

Musicologist, Professor John Collins has added his voice to the debate about whether or not Shatta Wale’s ‘My Level’ song is highlife.

The song won the Highlife Song of the Year award at the 2019 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
It has, since its nomination in the awards scheme, engendered a lot of controversy among music lovers and critics.
While the Board and some music analysts believe the song is highlife, other have also contended that it something else other than highlife.
Speaking to Joy News’ Israel Laryea, Professor John Collins said even though ‘My Level’ has some highlife elements, it has a lot of other elements that tilt it away from the highlife genre.
He rather said he would describe it as afro-dancehall.
He also said Kidi’s ‘Thunder’ and King Promise’s ‘CCTV’ are also not highlife music. He would rather call them Afro-pop.