Power, Gender, and Music: A Feminist Analysis of Female Representation in Nigerian Afrobeats Music Videos

This study presents a feminist analytical examination of female representation in Nigerian Afrobeats music videos, investigating how gender power dynamics are constructed, reproduced, and occasionally subverted in this globally prominent musical form. Afrobeats music videos have attracted international attention both for their aesthetic vitality and for recurring critiques regarding the hypersexualisation and objectification of women. This research employs a systematic visual and lyrical content analysis of 40 music videos released by Nigerian Afrobeats artists between 2021 and 2024, selected to represent a range of gender identities among artists including male-fronted, female-fronted, and collaborative productions. Analysis examines camera techniques, spatial positioning, costume choices, lyrical address, and narrative roles assigned to female performers and characters. The analytical framework integrates feminist film theory, African postcolonial gender studies, and music video scholarship. Supplementary data are gathered through interviews with 10 female artists, 5 music video directors, and 15 female music consumers regarding their perspectives on representation. Findings will map the dominant representational codes in Afrobeats visual culture and identify conditions under which female artists exercise greater creative control and challenge stereotypical representation. Recommendations address industry standards, creative agency, and media literacy programmes for young audiences. Keywords: Gender representation, Afrobeats, feminist analysis, music video, Nigeria.