Spotify Announces Asake, Rema as Afrobeats Global Ambassadors

Last week, Potpourri shared some insights into the rising fortunes and fame of Nigeria’s new musical powerhouses, Rema and Asake, and how the duo has steered the wheel of the Afrobeats movement this year, both at home and globally.

Now, top music streaming platform, Spotify has cemented the claims made by Potpourri by declaring the duo as Afrobeats’ global ambassadors in their Wrapped 2023, the annual data led-recap on how people listened to music and podcasts on their platform.

In 2023, Nigerian music took the world by storm, reaching unprecedented heights and breaking down barriers. Rema, one of the genre’s brightest stars, has had an extraordinary rise to fame. His collaboration with American pop star Selena Gomez on the hit single Calm down has won him legions of fans worldwide and has become the first African-led single to reach a billion streams on Spotify. A landmark achievement for African artists, this song is the first by a Nigerian Afrobeats artist to feature on the top 10 chart of most streamed recordings globally on Spotify. It also tops the Nigerian song export chart, solidifying its position as a global musical phenomenon.

Rema and Asake have also cemented their positions as Afrobeats’ global ambassadors, with Rema holding the title of the most globally exported artist and Asake captivating audiences across Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo, earning him the coveted title of most streamed artist in each country. This continued international success further underscores the enduring appeal of Afrobeats as the most exported genre of the year.

Asake’s dominance continued in the Top 10 most streamed tracks, with three of his hits – Lonely At The Top, 2:30 and Amapiano making the cut. His reign extended to the Gen Z demographic, with Asake becoming the most streamed artist among Nigerian and Ghanaian Gen Z listeners. His song Lonely At The Top further cemented his popularity among Nigerian Gen Zs, topping the charts for their age group.

Interestingly, Mohbad secured a position in the top 20 list of the most streamed artists in Nigeria, an attribute to an increased interest in his music following his untimely death. His track Ask About Me was the top streamed track everyday between 13th and 25th September.

On the top most streamed female artists, Spotify RADAR alumnus and 1st time Grammy Nominee, Ayra Starr clinched the title of the most streamed female artist in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Mercy Chinwo, a gospel artist, secured a spot among the top 10 most streamed female artists in Nigeria, underscoring the enduring popularity and influence 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 securing the top spots. 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 Apostle Joshua Selman, KOINONIA with Apostle Joshua Selman, The HonestBunch Podcast, I Said What I Said, Tea with Tay, and Koinonia Experience With Apostle Joshua Selman (ENI). The leading position of these podcast shows come as no surprise, given their widespread popularity among the youths, especially the Gen Zs and Millennials. Their popularity can also be attributed to their engaging and entertaining content, their keen awareness of trending subjects and their unfiltered and candid conversations.

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 favourite tunes

Rema topped the list of most searched queries, while Burna Boy topped the list of both most searched artists and most viral artists. Asake’s Lonely At The Top claimed the first spot on most viral tracks

Eligible users can access their personalised 2023 Wrapped experience exclusively in the Spotify mobile app (iOS and Android) and also this year, via web view on mobile or Desktop by heading to Spotify.com/Wrapped.

Additionally, Spotify has also launched its Wrapped creator experience for podcasters and artists. With access to their own individualised 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.