Sociolinguistic Analysis of Code-Switching in Nigerian Afrobeats Lyrics: Identity, Power, and Audience

This study presents a sociolinguistic analysis of code-switching practices in the lyrics of Nigerian Afrobeats music, examining how artists strategically alternate between English, Nigerian Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, and other languages to construct identity, negotiate power, and connect with diverse audiences. Language choice in popular music lyrics is a rich site of sociolinguistic inquiry, reflecting and shaping broader patterns of language prestige, ethnic identity, and national belonging. This research purposively selects 35 Afrobeats songs from artists representing different ethnic and geographic backgrounds, released between 2020 and 2024, and applies systematic discourse analysis and sociolinguistic coding to identify patterns of language alternation, the social contexts that trigger switches, and the communicative functions served by multilingual lyric strategies. Interviews with 10 Afrobeats artists and 5 songwriters provide insider perspectives on lyric language decisions. The study draws on sociolinguistic theory, specifically Myers-Scotton's markedness model, Bakhtin's dialogism, and recent African popular music linguistics research. Findings will produce a comprehensive taxonomy of code-switching patterns in Afrobeats lyrics and theorise their relationship to Nigerian multilingualism, postcolonial identity politics, and the globalisation of Afrobeats. Keywords: Code-switching, Afrobeats lyrics, sociolinguistics, Nigerian music, language identity.