Spotify Wrapped 2025: Nigerian artistes lead global music stage

Spotify says Nigerian artistes have continued to lead and expand the country’s sonic footprint on the global stage

The music‑streaming platform made the assertion in its “Wrapped 2025 Data for Nigeria”, issued by Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub‑Saharan Africa, on Wednesday in Lagos.

“As Wrapped 2025 rolls out, listeners across Nigeria can now dive into their own stories, from breakout anthems to spiritual podcasts, and see exactly how they helped define the country’s audio landscape this year.

“Nigeria’s 2025 Wrapped paints a picture of a music scene that is absolutely thriving. It’s incredible to see how fast Nigerians embrace fresh voices right alongside the legends,” Okumu said.

She said that Burna Boy topped the most-exported artistes list, followed by Tems, Rema,Ayra Starr,and WizKid.

Okumu said that Rema’s chart-dominating collaboration “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez held its ground as the most-exported local song for the third consecutive year, proving the long-tail power of a global hit rooted in Nigerian rhythm.

On listening habits, she said that Nigerians spent more than 1.3 billion hours on the platform in 2025,championing a new wave of homegrown talents.

She said local music consumption rose by 82 per cent over the past year while Afrobeats listening grew by 22 per cent globally, further cementing its status as a world-shaping genre.

“Davido’s “With You” (featuring Omah Lay) was the most-shared song on social platforms, propelled by star power, cultural relevance, and an inherently viral-friendly sound.”

Daily streams grew by 23 per cent, demonstrating that music is a part of Nigerians’ daily routines.

According to her , this year’s Top 10 most‑streamed songs made one thing clear: fresh talent is front and centre.

She said that four major breakout acts, Fido, Kunmie, Faceless, and FOLA, carved out serious space at the top of the charts.

“Fido led the wave of newcomers with his viral anthem Joy is Coming, which landed at #2. Kunmie’s breakout debut Arike followed at #3.Faceless took the #4 spot with Venus, while Spotify RADAR artiste, FOLA, claimed #6 with ‘Lost’

“Their presence in the charts shows that new voices aren’t just participating, they’re actively recalibrating the vibe and driving what’s next in Nigerian music.

“This newcomer energy was matched by the consistency of established stars. The most-streamed song in Nigeria in 2025 was ‘With You’ (feat. Omah Lay), which dominated national charts and soundtracked moments across the country.”

On the albums front, the momentum continued: Wizkid’s ‘Morayo’ claimed the number one most-streamed album in Nigeria.

The rest of the top five were rounded out by Davido’s ‘5ive’, BNXN’s ‘Captain’, Burna Boy’s ‘No Sign Of Weakness’, and FOLA’s ‘Catharsis’

Meanwhile, Asake showcased remarkable catalogue depth, charting three albums within the top 10, underscoring just how deeply his sound resonates with Nigerian listeners.

On the women’s side, Ayra Starr held onto her title as the most-streamed woman in Nigeria.

Other names in the Top 10 most-streamed women artistes included Tems, Smur Lee, Tiwa Savage, and Sunmisola.

According to Okumu, Smur Lee’s swift rise appears to be fuelled by high-profile collaborations blending street-hop with Amapiano textures.

“Sunmisola’s presence in the rankings underlines the deep and enduring love Nigerians have for gospel music, and the way faith-infused sounds sit comfortably alongside Afrobeats on listeners’ playlists.”

Okumu said that podcast creation had also seen significant growth of 48 per cent.

“The year 2025 revealed a clear spiritual dimension to this trend, as the top-streamed podcasts point to a strong and consistent appetite for faith- and spirituality-led content, with listeners turning to digital audio for guidance, reflection, and community as part of their daily routines.”

The data also showed that Nigeria’s average listening age sits at 25-years-old.