Spotify Wrapped: Nigeria’s Diverse Music Scene in 2023

Spotify has today unveiled this year’s edition of Wrapped, its highly anticipated annual recap of listeners’ musical journeys. This immersive experience provides users with a comprehensive overview of their year in music, allowing them to reflect on their preferences and discover hidden gems. This year’s Wrapped showcases the remarkable diversity of music and the passionate listening habits of Nigerian music enthusiasts.

As the year comes to a close, Spotify Wrapped takes users on a personalized journey through their favorite songs, artists, albums, and genres that defined their musical experience in 2023. Nigeria once again echoed with a vibrant tapestry of musical voices, as talented artists emerged and reigned supreme on the charts. For the third year in a row, Nigerian artists and songs make up Nigeria’s top ten most streamed artists, in a true showcase of Nigeria’s pride in 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 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, attributed to an increased interest in his music following his untimely death. His track Ask About Me was the top streamed track every day 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 comes as no surprise, given their widespread popularity among the youth, 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 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 on most viral tracks.

The full breakdown of the top Spotify Wrapped lists is below: