How Asake, Wizkid’s albums tease signal the next wave of global monetization

Nigerian artists Asake and Wizkid continue to show the commercial strength of Afrobeats through new activity that points to fresh releases. Their moves highlight strategies for extending album revenue, building fan engagement, and expanding into international markets via streaming platforms and live events.

Asake performed his album M$NEY in full for the first time on 21 June at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The invite-only event, held in partnership with Spotify, included a live orchestra and four unreleased songs. This marks Asake’s first full live outing of the project since its May release.

Fans in attendance and on social media interpreted the new material as preparation for a deluxe version of the album, released on 1 May. A full concert film from the show is expected on Spotify soon.

M$NEY set the record for the biggest first-week streams by an African album on Spotify, with 55.98 million global streams. It surpassed Wizkid’s previous mark with Morayo (52.8 million). In Nigeria alone, it recorded 42.2 million streams in its first week, breaking the prior record. The project has since passed 200 million Spotify streams and achieved strong positions on Apple Music charts in the UK and Nigeria.

Wizkid is preparing his next solo album. He has been in the studio with Pharrell Williams, and he will host an album pre-release party on 25 June at Cova Club in Paris during Paris Fashion Week. The event, organised with Deeds Paris Fashion Week, includes a live performance and DJ sets. It builds on recent visuals shared from Paris and studio sessions.

According to Pop Media on X, artists heavily predicted to be on the album include Justin Bieber, Future, Pharrell Williams, Tyla, Playboi Carti, Asake, The Kid LAROI, and Gunna.

Wizkid and Asake already demonstrated their combined draw with the joint EP REAL, Vol. 1, released on 23 January. The four-track project reached number one on Nigerian charts and debuted at number six on the Billboard World Albums chart. It spent multiple weeks at number one on Apple Music Nigeria, with tracks such as “Jogodo” performing strongly across platforms. Their earlier collaboration “MMS” has passed 100 million Spotify streams.

These developments reflect broader business patterns in Afrobeats. Streaming numbers serve as clear indicators of market value and negotiating power for artists, labels, and distributors. Recent IFPI reports states that streaming had a revenue share of 69.6 percent of the global recorded music revenue share by format.

Asake’s Spotify partnership for the London show and film extends the lifecycle of M$NEY beyond initial sales. Wizkid’s Paris event ties music promotion to fashion week visibility, a growing crossover for African artists seeking global brand deals.

Deluxe editions have become a standard tool to maintain momentum. Additional tracks and live content encourage repeated streams, playlist placement, and ticket sales for future tours. For platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, Afrobeats delivers consistent engagement in key regions, including the UK and the United States as global music revenue surpassed $30 billion and grew for the 11th consecutive year.

Industry data by IFPI shows African music (Sub-Saharan Africa) grew by 15.2 percent, which was the second highest by region in 2025, led by Afrobeats.

Artists like Asake and Wizkid use targeted fan experiences, such as invite-only events for top listeners, to strengthen loyalty while generating earned media. Their joint and solo projects also open doors for sync licensing, merchandise, and international touring revenue. These steps illustrate how top Afrobeats acts convert cultural influence into sustained commercial results in the streaming era.