Diving into the industry’s dominant sonic templates.
[Lagos] 29 November 2023 – Spotify has today revealed this year’s edition of wrapped, its highly anticipated yearly recap of users musical journey. This highlight event provides users with a detailed breakdown of their year in music, enabling them to ponder on their preferences and unearth hidden gems. This year’s wrapped spotlights the phenomenal diversity of music and the fervent devotion of Nigerian music heads.
As the year draws to a close, Spotify Wrapped takes users on a reflective journey through the checkpoints of their favorite songs, artists, albums and genres that encapsulated their musical experience in 2023. Nigeria once again boasts of a rich tapestry of musical voices, as gifted artists broke through and dominated the charts. For the third year in a row, Nigerian artists and songs populate the top ten most streamed artists, which is a testament to the valid love that Nigerians have for their music.
“Nigeria is a hotbed of musical talent and we’re incredibly proud to showcase the diversity and passion of Nigerian music lovers through Wrapped,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa. “This year’s Wrapped is a testament to the power of music to connect people and bring them closer to the culture and traditions of Nigeria.”
In 2023, Nigerian Music took the world by the horns, clinching unfathomable heights and bridging cultural gaps. Rema, one of the genre’s brightest stars, has had a meteoric rise to fame. His collaboration with American pop star, Selena Gomez on the hit single, ‘Calm Down’ has endeared him to new fans worldwide and has become the first African single to cross a billion streams on Spotify. It’s a landmark accomplishment for African artists, as this song is the first Nigerian song to show up on the top 10 chart of most streamed tracks on Spotify. It’s also on the top of the Nigerian song export chart, cementing its legacy as global music force to reckon with.
Rema and Asake have also established their positions as Afrobeats’ global ambassadors, with Rema holding the title of the most globally exported artiste and Asake held audiences spellbound, from all over African countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Togo—earning him the prestigious title of most streamed artist in each country.
Asake’s dominance extends to the top 10 most streamed tracks with three of his hit records – Lonely At The Top, 2:30 and Amapiano making the cut. His dominance reaches far and wide on the borders of the Gen Z demographic, becoming the most streamed artist amongst Nigerian and Ghanaian Gen Z listeners. His smash hit, Lonely At The Top further emphasizes his popularity amongst Nigerian Gen Zs, holding the top positions for the age group.
Interestingly, Mohbad finished in the top 20 list of the most streamed artistes in Nigeria, a feat that was triggered by the exponential rise in the consumption of his music, after his tragic death. His song, ‘Ask About Me’ was the most streamed song on Spotify, from 13th – 25th September.
On the matter of most streamed female artists, Spotify RADAR alumnus and 1-time Grammy Nominee, Ayra Starr notched the title of the most streamed female artist in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Mercy Chinwo, a gospel artist also appeared in the top 10 most streamed female artists in Nigeria, underlining the influence and popularity of gospel music.
The Throwback charts for 2023 were dominated by the legendary 2pac, with his song Hit ‘Em Up – Single Version and album Greatest Hits finishing in the top spots. This resurgence of consumptions in Pac’s music is probably due to the celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary and his affiliation with the event. The multiple reports about his death this year and his resolute status as one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time. As a result, a lot of Nigerians resorted to Spotify to stream his music, giving him a position on the charts.
