
<p>It has been a stellar year for music on the continent. Globally, more artists from Africa have taken center-stage introducing the nuances of African sound that’s becoming a firm favorite.</p>



<p>Digital music service provider Spotify has just released its much-anticipated ‘Wrapped’ list that collates the biggest songs, genres, and artists from around the world. According to its data, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing what the streaming service is calling a musical renaissance, with a 114% growth in music consumption, eclipsing other regions.</p>



<p>Leading this charge in 2024 is Nigeria-origin genre Afrobeats, which, according to Spotify, has captivated listeners worldwide.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Wrapped 2024 reveals that Nigerian artists such as Ahmed Ololade, also known as Asake, and Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, dominated the most-listed charts.</p>



<p>“This is a major win for Afrobeats, showcasing its growing global influence,” Phiona Okumu, Spotify&#8217;s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa says. “And with Ogulu, a global icon, still holding strong in the top ranks, it&#8217;s clear that Afrobeats isn&#8217;t just a trend; it&#8217;s a cultural phenomenon.”</p>



<p>The streaming platform has also noted the rise of female artists in Africa such as Tyla Laura Seethal and Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known as Ayra Starr. Starr takes the crown as the most-streamed female artist, while Tyla leads the EQUAL artist program in SSA. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The South African Amapiano scene also continues globally to take over charts with <em>Tshwala Bam</em> (a song by South African producers TitoM, whose real name is Thato Mathobela, and Bongani Sibanyoni, popularly known as Yuppe) and <em>Imithandazo</em> (song by Kabelo Motha, known to the world as Kabza De Small and Njabulo “Mthunzi” Ndimande) securing spots on the most-streamed list.</p>



<p>“The significant growth in local music consumption reflects the deep connection audiences have with homegrown sounds. Afrobeats continues to captivate the world, while Amapiano’s explosive growth highlights the continent’s ability to innovate and shape global music trends.</p>



<p>“We’re also seeing a rising interest in rap music, underscoring the diversity of African listeners and their appreciation for lyrical and cultural storytelling. This isn’t just about music — it’s about a celebration of identity, creativity, and the cultural heartbeat that makes Africa a global force in music today… Their success is a testament to the power of music to empower and inspire,” Okumu adds.</p>



<p><strong>The Most-Streamed African Artists In 2024</strong></p>



<p><strong>1.Asake</strong><br>Nigerian singer and rapper, Ololade, first came onto the scene in 2017. When he released his hit single, <em>Mr Money</em>, in 2022, the world began to take note. In 2024, his song <em>Lonely At The Top</em>, was one of the most-streamed.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2173625350.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63865" style="width:368px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2173625350.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2173625350-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em>(Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>2. Burna Boy</strong><br>Known to the world for his vocal texture, as well as singing in a blend of English and Yoruba, last year, Ogulu became the first international Afrobeats artist to obtain the number one spot on the official weekly UK album chart. His track <em>Higher</em> was on the most-streamed list this year.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2181280997.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63864" style="width:383px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2181280997.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2181280997-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em>(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>3. Seyi Vibez</strong><br>At only 24 years old, Balogun Afolabi Oluwaloseyi’s track <em>Different Pattern</em> was ranked number six this year on the most streamed list. Hailing from Nigeria, in 2023, Oluwaloseyi had his breakthrough with his single <em>Chance (Na Ham</em>), which debuted at number 19 on the UK Afrobeats singles chart and peaked at number 7 on the TurnTable Top 100 chart.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1658504921.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63863" style="width:449px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1658504921.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1658504921-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong> (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)</strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>4. Rema</strong><br>Since his rise to stardom in 2019, Divine Ikubor has continued to reach new heights with his music. In 2023, his hit single <em>Calm Down</em>, also featuring global pop artist Selena Gomez, reached over one billion streams on Spotify.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187245344.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63862" style="width:293px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187245344.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187245344-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em>(Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images for British Vogue)</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>5. Davido</strong><br>In 2023, <em>Forbes</em> called David Adedeji Adeleke &#8220;The King of Afrobeats&#8221;, and he has had a big role in the growth of African music globally. This year, Adeleke released a song with five-time Grammy award winning Benin artist, Angelique Kidjo, which has had over two million streams on Spotify.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63861" style="width:534px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em> (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>6. Wizkid</strong><br>Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun has been regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the “modern-day Afrobeats music scene” as well as considered him as “one of the biggest and most influential African artists of all time”. In 2024, Balogun released his much-anticipated single <em>Piece of My Heart</em>, featuring American singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187920400.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63860" style="width:427px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187920400.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187920400-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em>(Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFC)</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>7.&nbsp; Bnxn</strong><br>Afro-fusion has become relatively popular but it’s not a new genre on the continent. However, artists like Daniel Etiese Benson have been at the forefront of this genre since his breakthrough in 2018.</p>



<p><strong>8. Omah Lay</strong><br>Stanley Omah Didia has become a household name for songs like <em>Soso</em> and <em>Holy Ghost</em>. His album <em>Boy Alone</em> was also ranked number 8 on the most-streamed list this year.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2160689344.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63859" style="width:388px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2160689344.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2160689344-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>9. Kizz Daniel</strong><br>Oluwatobiloba Daniel rose to fame in 2014 with his single <em>Woju</em>. In 2024, Daniel has had over four million monthly listeners.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63858" style="width:504px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Hector Vivas &#8211; FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p><strong>10. ODUMODUBLVCK</strong><br>As an artist who is known for his genre blend music, (known as ODUMODUBLVCK) Tochukwu Gbubemi Ojogwu’s album <em>EZIOKWU</em> was in the top five for the most-streamed album in 2024.</p>



<p></p>


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‘The Cultural Heartbeat That Makes Africa A Global Force In Music’: 2024’s Biggest African Artists As Afrobeats Dominates Charts Again


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Spotify&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC4Jv6SJjhg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">teased</a>&nbsp;the release of its highly anticipated 2024 Spotify Wrapped on Wednesday and&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-11-27/are-you-wrapped-ready-first-make-sure-your-spotify-app-is-up-to-date/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reminded</a>&nbsp;users to make sure their apps are up-to-date so they can access the playlists when they’re released—though the company stopped short of sharing the release date.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The platform suggested Wednesday that Wrapped is coming soon by&nbsp;<a href="https://mashable.com/article/spotify-wrapped-coming-soon" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">showing</a>&nbsp;users a reminder to listen to their past years’ Spotify Wrapped and saying “the best time of year is right around the corner.”</p>



<p>Spotify also put out a&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-11-27/are-you-wrapped-ready-first-make-sure-your-spotify-app-is-up-to-date/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;Wednesday encouraging users to ensure their apps had the latest update so they don’t miss any features included in the Wrapped package.</p>



<p>Spotify teased its upcoming Wrapped package earlier in the year with a Halloween-themed&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SpotifyNews/status/1852006409090535754" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">post on X</a>, formerly known as Twitter, that confirmed data collection would continue past Oct. 31 to an unspecified date.</p>



<p>The Spotify Wrapped packages, customized graphics that tell a Spotify user their top five most-streamed songs and artists in a calendar year—and their top 100 songs—used to stop data collection on Oct. 31,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022/11/01/spotify-wrapped-2022-music-data/10659843002/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">USA Today</a>&nbsp;reported in 2022.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/10/24/spotify-wrapped-2024/75828894007/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Spotify told users</a>&nbsp;in an in-app pop-up message last week that “2024 is almost a wrap,” urging users to update the app so they can access their Wrapped packages when they arrive.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-will-spotify-wrapped-2024-release">When Will Spotify Wrapped 2024 Release?</h2>



<p>No release date has been announced, but Spotify Wrapped has typically dropped at the end of November or early December. Spotify released its Wrapped packages on Nov. 29 last year, one day earlier than the previous year, when the packages were released on Nov. 30. Users are typically given access to Spotify Wrapped through an in-app pop-up, and the package is formatted as a slideshow with Instagram Story-ready graphics.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-will-there-be-a-new-spotify-wrapped-feature">Will There Be A New Spotify Wrapped Feature?</h2>



<p>It’s not clear. In some past years, Spotify has included new elements to its Wrapped package. Last year it matched users to a “Sound Town” based on their “most-streamed artists of the year, and the way in which those artists are streamed in other cities.” And in 2019, Spotify gave users a look back at their trends over the&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2019-12-05/spotify-wrapped-2019-reveals-your-streaming-trends-from-2010-to-now/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">decade</a>. In an Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC4Jv6SJjhg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">post</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, Spotify shared a video of its logo changing to represent various albums released this year and said: “This year contained multitudes. So will your Wrapped. Coming Soon.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>Social media users have frequently joked they wait until Spotify stops tracking their data so they can safely listen to music they’d be embarrassed by if it ended up in their Spotify Wrapped. More than 200,000 users liked an&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/INDIEWASHERE/status/1849090072307491082" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">X post</a>&nbsp;last week from a user who said her Spotify Wrapped is “going to be so embarrassing this year,” and last year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2023/10/27/spotify-wrapped-tracking-end-october/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>&nbsp;referred to November and December as “cheat months” where users can listen to holiday music and show tunes safely without fear of them popping up on Spotify Wrapped.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Spotify began its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/11/28/spotify-wrapped-2023-comes-soon-heres-how-it-became-a-viral-and-widely-copied-marketing-tactic/">Wrapped marketing campaign</a>&nbsp;in 2016, and began issuing Instagram Story-shareable graphics to users as part of their Wrapped packages in 2019. The Wrapped campaign has been a huge marketing hit for the streaming platform:&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6340656/spotify-wrapped-guide-2023/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Spotify said</a>&nbsp;more than 156 million users accessed their Wrapped package in 2022, up from 120 million the year prior. Social media analytics company&nbsp;<a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/spotify-wrapped/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">SproutSocial</a>&nbsp;found 400 million posts had been made about Spotify Wrapped on X in the three days following its 2022 release, up 15% from the year before. Spotify typically unveils new features for the Wrapped campaign each year. In last year’s edition, each user was assigned a “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/11/29/spotify-wrapped-sound-towns-social-media-has-theories-about-why-you-got-assigned-berkeley-or-burlington/">sound town</a>,” a city that matches their music taste, leading to viral jokes on social media that Burlington, Vermont, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, may be home to large communities of queer artists and LGBTQ listeners. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/30/23484880/spotify-wrapped-2022-music-personality-bad-bunny-harry-styles-joe-rogan" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">listeners</a>&nbsp;were assigned listening personality types based on the Meyers-Briggs personality test.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/11/28/spotify-wrapped-2023-comes-soon-heres-how-it-became-a-viral-and-widely-copied-marketing-tactic/">Spotify Wrapped 2023 Comes Soon: Here’s How It Became A Viral And Widely Copied Marketing Tactic</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Tag: Spotify Wrapped

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

‘The Cultural Heartbeat That Makes Africa A Global Force In Music’: 2024’s Biggest African Artists As Afrobeats Dominates Charts Again

Spotify Wrapped Is Coming Soon—What We Know About This Year’s Iteration