Spotify 2023 Wrapped: Asake is most streamed artiste in Nigeria

As 2023 winds down, music streaming platform, Spotify, announced that Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, is the most streamed musician in Nigeria on Wednesday.

Spotify, who released their verdict through an annual newsletter tagged “Spotify wrapped: 2023 – Nigeria Diverse Music Scene in 2023”, revealed that from their collected data, Asake was the most streamed artiste of the year.

In this year’s Spotify’s wrapped, Asake’s songs emerged as the top 10 most streamed tracks, with three of his hits – ‘Lonely At The Top’, ‘2: 30’ and ‘Amapaino’.

The 28-year-old singer’s reigns also extended to the Gen Z demographic, with Asake becoming the most streamed artiste among Nigerian and Ghanaian Gen Z listeners.

Gen Zs, colloquially known as Zoomers, is the demographic succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. They were born between 1997 and 2012. Asake’s song, ‘Lonely At The Top’ further cemented his popularity among Nigerian Gen Zs, topping the charts for their age group.

Meanwhile, Asake wasn’t entirely lonely at the top, according to Spotify, Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ became the first Afrobeats artist-led track to hit a billion streams on the streaming platform, globally.

Spotify also revealed that Rema and Asake 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 artiste in each country.

Interestingly, Mohbad secured a position in the top 20 list of the most streamed artistes 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 the 13th and 25th of September.

According to Spotify, this year’s Wrapped showcases the remarkable diversity of music and the passionate listening habits of Nigerian music enthusiasts.

For the third year in a row, Nigerian artistes and songs make up Nigeria’s top ten most streamed artistes, a true showcase of Nigeria’s pride in their own 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.

He said that 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.

Spotify’s data

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.

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).

On the list of 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.

According to Spotify, 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.

Beyond data

Although Spotify Wrapped is primarily a massive data analysis strategy, the 2023 wrap showed more than just rankings and numbers.

It shows that music lovers in Nigeria turn up the volume on Fridays, with 3 pm being the most popular time to indulge in their favourite tunes.

READ ALSO: Afrobeats taking over Asia, Middle East music scene- Report

Also, the wrap shows that Rema topped the list of most searched queries, while Burna Boy topped the list of the most searched and viral artistes.

Spotify also brought each user their unique individual wrap containing their most played songs, favourite artistes and genres from local and international music.

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