Nigerian music sensation Rema has once again taken the music world by storm, as he claims the top spot on the latest Spotify list of most-listened-to Nigerian artists. With an astounding 33.8 million listeners on the popular streaming platform, Rema’s infectious beats and unique style have captured the hearts of music lovers worldwide.
His song ‘Calm Down’ became a global phenomenon when American artist Selena Gomez featured in the remix of the song which further gave the song more plays globally making it one of the songs of the summer in 2023. The talented artist’s success serves as a testament to his rising prominence in the global music scene, further solidifying his status as one of Nigeria’s brightest stars.
Following closely is Burna Boy, a dancehall, reggae, Afrobeat, and pop fusion artist, with 19 million listeners. Burna Boy gained attention in 2010 and has since become one of Nigeria’s fastest-rising stars. His new album ‘I Told Them’ is poised to gain him even more global listeners and fanbase as he explores infusing hip hop stars and legends as well as reggae artists.
Read also: Rema breaks King Sunny Ade’s 41-Year-Old Billboard Record
Tems, known for her distinctive alternative R&B, soul, and afrobeats sound, ranks third with 13.5 million listeners. She has won several awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance and the BET Award for Best Collaboration.
After her globally appreciated vocals on ‘Essence’ Tems went on to feature on the rendition of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman No Cry’ on score of Marvel’s Black Panther; Wakanda Forever. Her feature on Future’s ‘Wait for U’ pushed her even higher as she became the first Afrobeats star to debut at the peak of the Billboard hot100 chart.
Fourth on the list is Ckay, with 12 million listeners. He gained recognition as a producer and songwriter before branching out as a solo artist. His hit song ‘Love Nwantiti’ received international remixes and brought him further into the limelight.
With the release of his other remixes of the hit song, Ckay has gained more than 1 billion audio streams from all renditions of the song from Spotify alone.
Ayra Starr, who debuted in 2021 with her EP “Ayra Starr”, is fifth on the list with 10.9 million listeners, followed by Wizkid, one of Africa’s biggest music stars, with 10.4 million listeners. Fireboy, known for his fusion of Afrobeats, R&B, and soul, has 10 million monthly listeners, while Davido, one of Nigeria’s most successful and influential artists, has 8.3 million listeners.
Timeless,’ has surpassed 1 billion streams across major platforms. The album, which was released on March 31st, 2023, has been a huge success, with hit songs like “Unavailable,” “No Competition,” and “Na Money.” Omah Lay, who gained popularity in 2020 with his debut EP “Get Layd”, has 7.5 million listeners, followed by Oxlade with 7 million listeners, who gained recognition with his hit single “Shugar” in 2018.
Rounding out the list is Asake, known for his Afrobeat and Afro-fusion music, with 5.3 million listeners. His song “Mr Money” became a viral hit and contributed significantly to his popularity. Recently, he joins the list of Nigerians who succeeded in selling out the O2 arena and is on the path to global acceptance like his senior counterparts.
This data illustrates the growing influence of Nigerian artists on the global music stage, as they continue to shape the flow and rhythm of Afrobeat and other genres.
