Spotify has today released Wrapped 2023, the annual data-led review of how people listened to music and podcasts, on the platform.
Nigeria’s Spotify Wrapped 2023
Drake is the most streamed artist in Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Burna Boy, making him the most streamed African artist in SSA, for the second year in a row. Asake, Davido and Omah Lay all make an appearance in the top ten, showing Nigeria’s dominance in the music scene across the continent. Coming in at number 11, Ayra Starr was the top streamed female artist in SSA, narrowly missing a spot in the top ten most streamed artists list.
When it comes to tracks that the whole region can agree on, Ruger’s A siwaju takes the day, followed by Ayra Starr’s Rush. A host of other Nigerian tracks also make the list include Asake’s Lonely At The Top which is the most streamed track in Nigeria this year. Tyler ICU is the sole South African with Mnike, featuring DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee, and Libianca’s People is still making waves, almost a year after its release, landing it in the eighth spot.
Analysis of Spotify’s Impact on African Music Industry in 2023
The release of Davido’s highly anticipated album “Timeless” earlier this year resulted in it quickly becoming the most streamed album in SSA. Additionally, two of its tracks, “Feel” and “Unavailable” featuring Musa Keys, made it to the top ten most streamed tracks in the region. Asake’s rise to fame has been nothing short of remarkable, going from relative obscurity just a few years ago to having two albums, “Work of Art” and “Mr. Money With The Vibe” in the top streamed charts for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The top exported artist in SSA is Rema, thanks to the popularity of Calm Down, featuring Selena Gomez, which is also the most exported track from SSA. Furthermore, for the first time ever, an African artist-led track not only gained 1 billion streams on Spotify, it is also the eighth most streamed track globally. Considering that just a few years ago, African tracks were mostly limited to the continent, it is no small feat that all the African artists whose music made a global impact were featured on Spotify’s “Gone Abroad Presents…Global African Hits of 2023”.
Even though Ayra Starr leads in the top streamed female artists list, the only other African female artist in the top ten is Tems, with the rest of the list being occupied by American artists.
To further showcase local listening trends from around the world, Spotify this year has Wrapped Mapped, showing which songs have soundtracked throughout the year since January 1, all across the globe.
Additionally, Spotify has also launched its Wrapped creator experience for podcasters and artists. With access to their own individualized Wrapped microsite experience, creators can dive into all the ways in which their fans listened this year. Check out Spotify for Artists and Spotify for Podcasters to learn more.
Legendary 2Pac dominated the throwback charts for 2023, securing the top spots with his song “Hit ‘Em Up – Single Version” and album “Greatest Hits”. This resurgence of interest in 2Pac’s music is likely due to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the numerous headlines surrounding his death this year, and his enduring status as one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time. As a result, many Nigerians turned to Spotify to stream his music, solidifying his position in the charts.
On top local podcasts in the hearts of Nigerian listeners, the spotlight falls on https://open.spotify.com/show/1CzJXnRSWcZRtlnAVB3ugQ https://open.spotify.com/show/3AGe43ZNWzBplppVCmPc2bThttps://open.spotify.com/show/6OKFaa0N50Mjz5CmFukdKJThe leading position of these podcast shows comes as no surprise, given their widespread popularity among the youth, especially the Gen Zs and Millennials. Their engaging and entertaining content, keen awareness of trending subjects, and unfiltered and candid conversations have all contributed to their popularity.
Here’s what the Spotify Wrapped data says about Nigeria’s listening habits in 2023:
The demand for local music in Nigeria continued to skyrocket, with consumption growing by an impressive 284%.
Average streams of female artists in Nigeria experienced a remarkable 150% surge Year-on-Year.
Music lovers in Nigeria turn up the volume on Fridays, with 3 pm being the most popular time to indulge in their favorite tunes.
Rema topped the list of most searched queries, while Burna Boy topped the list of both the most searched artists and most viral artists. Asake’s Lonely At The Top claimed the first spot.
