Tag: afrobeats

Spotify and Severe Nature Bring Afrobeats Culture to Life Through Fashion

October 6, 2025

Last week in Lagos, the lines between music and fashion blurred in electrifying new ways. Afrobeats: Culture in Motion—a bold collaboration between Lagos-based streetwear brand Severe Nature and Spotify—transformed the Greasy Tunes Cafe into a multisensory celebration of African creativity. The immersive showcase brought together sound, style, and storytelling, spotlighting how Afrobeats continues to fuel cultural innovation far beyond the studio.

At the heart of the evening were four Nigerian fashion designers—Móye Africa, I.N Official, KADIJU, and Pièce Et Patch—each unveiling capsule collections that visually interpreted Afrobeats’ rhythmic complexity, raw energy, and communal roots. More than a runway, the event unfolded as a living installation. Spotify’s curated soundscape set the tone, while silhouettes, textiles, and craftsmanship danced to the pulse of genres from alte and highlife to streethop and the big three.

“Partnering with Spotify was essential,” said Severe Nature’s Art Director, Christopher Afolabi. “They are the sonic architects of the Afrobeats movement globally. This showcase wasn’t just inspired by the music, it embodied it.”

The event marks a continuation of Spotify’s investment in the wider creative ecosystem surrounding African music, championing culture as a holistic expression.

“Afrobeats is a culture, not just a genre,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa. “We’re proud to amplify the vision of creators like Severe Nature, who are pushing boundaries and redefining what global African culture looks and feels like.”

How a Generation of Latin American and West African Artists Has Come to Speak the Same Language

September 22, 2025

About 50 kilometers southeast of the Colombian city of Cartagena rests the village of San Basilio de Palenque: the cradle of the country’s distinct cumbia music. Founded in the 17th century as a refuge for escaped enslaved people, its very existence is a testament to resilience and cultural preservation. Here, cumbia’s powerful rhythmic heartbeat began with the resonant beats of African drumming traditions using instruments like the tambora, tambor alegre, and llamador. This African influence blended seamlessly with local flute melodies and European harmonies, creating a vibrant musical language that tells the story of its blended heritage.

This shared DNA, forged centuries ago, is the same sonic foundation that fuels today’s modern musical fusions. It’s why the collaborations between a Nigerian Afrobeats star and a reggaeton artist from Colombia feel less like a trend and more like a rhythmic reunion. The music is, in a way, coming full circle, and this isn’t by chance. Rather, there is a deep reciprocal cultural dialogue where Latin American artists are embracing and reimagining Afrobeats’ sounds through their own perspectives. The proof is in the data: In 2025, Afrobeats listenership in Latin America grew by more than 180% year-on-year, signs of a passionate fan base pressing play more often.

A deeper dive into Spotify data reveals landmarks of Afrobeats’ journey across Latin America. Since 2020, Argentina and Mexico have witnessed more than 400% growth in Afrobeats streams, while Brazil has seen a 500% surge in the same period. Yet no Latin American nation has been more captivated by the Afrobeats phenomenon than Colombia, where 25 million hours of the genre have been streamed so far in 2025. Here, local trailblazers like Kapo and Beéle stand at the forefront of this homegrown embrace, drawing inspiration from the West African sound and boldly propelling it in fresh directions. Their collaborations with Nigerian hitmakers allow for a vibrant reimagining of these infectious tunes.

The Colombia connection

Beéle has been connected to Afrobeats since he was just 12 years old. Ever since hearing Davido’s 2013 hit “Aye,” he has typically looked to fuse Afrobeats with local sounds like champeta and salsa. By the time he was 16, he’d dropped the viral song “Loco,” which became his first Billboard chart entry, proving this genre-bending approach was resonating with a range of listeners. He later doubled down on this musical blend on his debut album, BORONDO, collaborating with Nigerian producers like London and Daramola. This project peeled back the layers, revealing a profound fusion that would forever reshape Colombia’s musical identity.

Another Colombian artist, Kapo, broke out in 2024 with Afrobeats-inspired tracks like “Ohnana” and “Uwaie,” both of which charted on the Billboard Global 200. “Ohnana” earned him his first Billboard No. 1 on the Latin Rhythm Airplay. Kapo’s creative choices, from his melodic cadences to his production style, are clearly rooted in Afrobeats and reinterpreted through his Latin lens. He exemplifies how this isn’t just a trend being dictated from afar; it’s a creative exchange inspiring a new sound for the streets. In an interview, Kapo says he knew that Afrobeats always had the potential to go off in Latin America. “When I was in Panama with Mr. Saik, we’d talk about how Afrobeats could be the next sound to take over Latin America,” he recalls.

This cross-cultural collaboration is a two-way street. When rising Nigerian star Fido enlisted Kapo for a remix of his breakout single “Awolowo,” it made for one of the earliest collaborations between a rising Afrobeats act and a rising Latin act, showing a genuine artist-to-artist dialogue happening organically between the two regions.

A global language of rhythm

This new generation of artists is also forging cross-continental connections through collaborations that introduce new layers to music from both sides of the Atlantic. Puerto Rico’s Rauw Alejandro crafted a defining moment for the culture with his standout track, “Santana,” featuring Afrobeats superstar Ayra Starr and Jamaican producer Rvssian. The song’s success, with over 300 million Spotify streams, earned Ayra Starr the first Latin Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The remix of Omah Lay’s “Soso” with Ozuna married Omah Lay’s raw emotional delivery with Ozuna’s reggaetón smoothness, creating a sonic fusion that mirrored both artists’ interest in introspection.

While Latin America’s rising stars are forging these connections, Nigeria’s Afrobeats pioneers have also heavily influenced this exchange. Nigeria’s Mr Eazi and Colombia’s J Balvin present a perfect case study. An organic, brotherly connection formed in 2018 has since evolved into a full-fledged musical partnership. Their collaboration on “Lento” and “Arcoíris” with Tainy showed how these two genres can seamlessly blend into a global smash hit. “Arcoiris” even earned a Latin Grammy, one of the first major industry acknowledgments of an Afrobeats-Latin record.

In an interview with OkayAfrica, Mr Eazi says he had been “fascinated” with the Latino music scene since 2018. This curiosity drove him to “go open for J Balvin for crowds of 20,000 capacity per show of people that don’t even know me or know anything about Afrobeats.” He adds, “I ended up winning a Latin Grammy and I don’t even speak Spanish.” J Balvin’s work with other established Afrobeats artists like Burna Boy on “Rollercoaster” represents another symbolic crossover between Afrofusion and Colombian reggaetón, showing that the dynamic interplay between African and Latin influences is taking place across many genres. 

These artist-driven partnerships go beyond isolated incidents, making it clear that cross-cultural exchange is a growing phenomenon that’s here to stay.

From discovery to community

So, how are these seemingly distant worlds connecting? The answer lies in the democratization of music. The internet and streaming platforms have leveled the playing field, allowing for grassroots cultural and creative interaction between continents. Listeners are discovering the music on their own terms, and the numbers speak for themselves. The growth of subgenres like Latin Afrobeats, which has increased by more than 6,000% since 2020, showcases the growing overlap between the two fan bases.

Listenership of playlists like Afro-Ritmo, which is dedicated to showcasing Latin-African collaborations, has grown by more than 180% in 2025, indicating the increasing popularity of this new wave of music. As Spotify’s Senior Music Editor for Sub-Saharan Africa, Benewaah Boateng, puts it, “We are just a bridge allowing this cultural exchange to flourish and providing a home for these fresh sounds.”

The story of Afrobeats’ ascension in Latin America goes well beyond catchy beats; it speaks to the reclamation of a historical connection that would be lost to history books if not for a new generation of musicians on both continents. Beyond the undeniable grooves, Afrobeats has become a powerful cultural force, reshaping global narratives about Africa and fostering vital connections within the diaspora. Its expanding resonance in regions like Latin America is a bold declaration of a new cultural language that honors the past, electrifies the present, and is unmistakably defining the sound of the future.

Visit our full Afrobeats 2.0 experience on For the Record to discover more.

Culture Through Conversations: How Comments and Livestreams Rewired Afrobeats

September 22, 2025

In the stillness of a lockdown caused by a global pandemic, Afrobeats did not stall. It recalibrated. Deprived of dance floors and festival stages, the genre’s pulse migrated online, where fans, artists, producers, and critics began talking to one another in public, sometimes all at once. What followed wasn’t just a makeshift substitute for nightlife; it was a structural shift. The work of percussion, keys, and hooks was joined by something less tangible but just as propulsive: connection, vulnerability, and a sense of community.

Before 2020, the machinery around Afrobeats looked familiar: label-led rollouts, press tours, blockbuster collaborations, and the occasional crossover hit shaping a tidy narrative arc. Fans consumed, reacted, and queued for the next show. Then the lights went out, and the comment section became the venue.

A genre reborn online

Social platforms became makeshift town halls where the gatekeepers’ grips loosened. Fans debated sequencing and sound design, argued about lineage and influence, and put artists and executives on the spot in real time. Communities including WeTalkSound and Afrobeats to the World convened listening parties and debriefs that doubled as A&R focus groups. The genre’s blend of West African rhythms with hip-hop, R&B, and dancehall didn’t change overnight, but the conversation around it did, becoming deeper, more granular, more personal.

That dialogue helped push introspective themes into the foreground. Mental health, ambition, heartbreak, and the anxieties of hustling through uncertainty threaded through early-pandemic releases. Omah Lay’s “Get Layd” and Chike’s “Boo of the Booless” became the kinds of records listeners dissected together, turning solitary headphone sessions into group therapy in the comments. In the absence of arenas, intimacy became an aesthetic.

The new tastemakers

As media circuits paused and stages stayed dark, a different class of tastemaker emerged: the commentator-curator with a camera, a mic, and a timeline. Fans organized online “battles,” including a widely watched face-off between Naeto C and M.I. Abaga, that weren’t just spectacles but canon-making exercises, collective memory in real time. Documenting these flashpoints, independent hosts and culture writers accrued influence by showing up, archiving, and arguing.

With proximity came fluency. Debates rarely stopped at “What’s the best song?” Listeners parsed production credits, streaming economics, and split sheets. The audience grew more informed and therefore more confident about what success should look like and who gets to define it.

Democratizing discovery

Streaming turned this energy into momentum. As discovery habits shifted decisively to digital platforms, fans could wander across regions, scenes, and moods at will. According to Spotify, Afrobeats listenership in Nigeria has grown by more than 4,000% since 2021, with tracks saved to libraries or added to personal playlists over 6 million times. The specific figures can be debated; the direction of travel cannot. Curated global playlists amplified word-of-mouth popularity, and word of mouth, newly supercharged by short-form video, could move a song across borders in days.

Rema’s “Calm Down” is the case study that has already hardened into lore. Its ascent began the way so many modern hits do: with fan-made clips and dance challenges that spread faster than any single press campaign could. The Selena Gomez remix widened the aperture, but the groundwork was laid by users who treated the song as a social object first and a chart entry second. In September 2023, “Calm Down” became the first track by an African artist to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams, and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry later ranked the remix the world’s second-bestselling single of 2023. Today, it stands among the most-streamed Afrobeats songs with Gen Z listeners globally, proof that a captivated audience can carry a record far beyond its presumed limits.

From stans to a scene

In the past, stans used to be a genre’s tastemaker. Devotional fan bases, like Wizkid FC, shaped discourse and outcomes. But the gravitational center shifted in the 2020s. The internet’s buffet of playlists, mood mixes, and algorithmic rabbit holes nudged listeners from singular loyalty toward scene loyalty. This is reflected in Spotify’s Afrobeats playlist data, where the number of new playlists grew by an average of 41% year-on-year, and more than 200,000 playlists were made globally in 2023 alone. It’s an indicator that the thrill now often lies in discovery itself—a thread recommending a Port Harcourt crooner you’ve never heard of; a friend’s playlist that sneaks a Ghanaian drill track between two Lagos pop cuts.

That widening aperture has commercial and symbolic consequences. As listening diversified, so did the metrics that matter. In July 2020, the Billboard’s official UK Afrobeats chart launched. This was followed by the March 2022 launch of Billboard’s US Afrobeats Songs chart. These end points, the data-driven validation of a long-brewing groundswell, reflect what fans had already made true online. These dedicated charts provide tangible metrics for the genre’s commercial success, influencing investment decisions and the growth of an industry within the genre.  

The industry catches up

Labels and publicists have adjusted, if unevenly. Rollouts now assume that liftoff might happen on TikTok or in a Telegram group before a press release lands. Artists pop into their own comment sections, cohost listening sessions, or invite producers and critics onto livestreams to make the case for a track’s arrangement. The distance between studio and audience has compressed, and with it the timeline for feedback. Songs are no longer just marketed; they are workshopped in public.

If this new order dilutes some of the mystery around pop stardom, it also distributes power. Fans have become co-authors, amplifying, annotating, and sometimes course-correcting the story of Afrobeats as it unfolds.

What endures

The most durable change may be cultural rather than commercial. The pandemic years forced a kind of soul-searching that outlasted the emergency. Afrobeats emerged with a sturdier, more inclusive social architecture, a discourse built by people who gather around the music, trade stories through it, and carry it across oceans. The artists remain central, but the choruses around them have grown wiser, louder, and harder to ignore.

Afrobeats isn’t defined by stages or charts alone. It’s also the comment thread that turns a verse into a communal confession, the livestream where a producer breaks down a drum pattern for thousands, the group chat that persuades a skeptic to give a new EP a fair listen. As long as those conversations continue—curious, raucous, deeply invested—the music will keep traveling. Beat by beat, debate by debate, the genre that learned to thrive in the quiet has become one of the noisiest, most generative conversations in global pop.

Visit our full Afrobeats 2.0 experience on For the Record to discover more.

Women of Afrobeats: A New Era of Power, Presence, and Possibility

September 22, 2025

It’s the mid-’90s and the song “Allen Avenue” can be heard through speakers on the streets of Lagos. This classic by the London-born Nigerian rapper Weird MC is an ode to one of Lagos’s most famous streets, and it’s a bold statement of a changing Nigerian culture. Her music and fashion defied convention, embodying the words she shared in an interview on Rubbing Minds: “I am someone you cannot put in a box; anything can happen and you never know what to expect.”

No one saw a woman rapping with an alté-style edge coming in the ’90s, long before the term alté was even coined. “Allen Avenue” stood out for its unique mix of traditional African strings with hip-hop kicks and snares on a track that explores fraud, prostitution, and drugs. Years later, alté emerged as a subgenre where women could experiment and resist industry biases. Artists like Lady Donli, with her blend of soul, R&B, and Nigerian pop influences, used alté’s creative freedom to challenge sonic boundaries and claim visibility in a space that was closed off.

These sonic experiments created new possibilities in Nigerian music and sowed the seeds for what we now know as Afrobeats. As Afrobeats emerged in the mid-2000s, female artists already had a strong platform. Fast-forward to the 2020s, and female artists are not coy about the conversations they have in their music; they are in total command of their sound, messages, and images, breaking the boundaries of conservative social standards. 

“Women have always been integral in shaping the sound of African music,” says culture journalist Ify Obi for Billboard.

Artists like Goldie Harvey brought a fresh pop sensibility, while Asa—though not strictly Afrobeats—became a major inspiration through her exploration of social dynamics and cultural challenges. Omawumi followed with her rich blend of soul and folk influences, while Waje captivated audiences with her powerful R&B records. Against this backdrop, figures like Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, and their contemporaries, including Simi, Efya, and Seyi Shay, charted their own course.

“Tiwa Savage’s courage to be a game-changer and rebel created a new era for female Nigerian singers,” says Ayomide Tayo, founder of “The Naija Way,” a biweekly newsletter on Nigerian pop culture.

Ayra Starr, the pop star of Afrobeats

Think back to the early 2000s, when voices like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Brandy, and Jennifer Lopez shaped fashion, music, and pop culture with their vocals, statement-piece outfits, and girl-next-door personas. Their influence on how the world saw pop inspired a whole generation in ways that are still playing out today.

In the 2020s, Ayra Starr took up this mantle, channeling pop star energy for a global audience with unique West African flair. Starr’s Afropop sound brings a bold, fearless Gen Z perspective to a genre previously dominated by men imitating American rappers. Her global impact is undeniable. In 2024, she was crowned the most-streamed Nigerian artist in Latin America and the most-streamed Nigerian woman in Europe. Her record-breaking run on Spotify’s global charts and a more than 3,000% increase in Spotify streams in Nigeria since 2020 highlight her massive appeal. Her core fan base of “Mobstarrs” calls back to how fans followed iconic musicians in the Britney era, another symbol of her status as a true pop icon. 

Tems isn’t following the script 

Soulful, authentic, and introspective. Tems’s sound strays from the mainstream template for Nigerian artists. Her six-track EP, For Broken Ears, expressed a raw vulnerability and got her noticed for exploring her self-discovery and healing journey through music. This cathartic vocal experience made a household name of Tems, but this didn’t happen overnight. Her sound wasn’t readily embraced in her early days.

Speaking to the BBC, she recalled those early struggles. “It was difficult for people to take me seriously. It didn’t mean that I stopped; I just kept on going,” she says. “I went to a couple of places that didn’t sign me.” That defiance has become her hallmark. To women in music facing similar pressure to conform, she offers a simple message: “When people tell you to change your sound, your style, you look at them and you say no.”

Tems’s story made way for women who want to follow her tune. For artists like Amaeya, who once sang backup for Tems, the impact is personal. “Seeing Tems do it gave me the reassurance I needed. If she can do it, I can too,” Amaeya says.

Determined to open the industry up for other women, she launched the Leading Vibe initiative to support young women in claiming their place in music. While building her sound and learning to produce, she quietly rewrote the script of the Nigerian female artist’s story. No flashy persona, no gimmicks, just pure talent and unshakable confidence.

That resolve has paid off. Tems is not only the first Nigerian artist to win two Grammys, but she is also the first African female artist to hit 1 billion Spotify streams, for her song “Wait for U.”

Each milestone is proof that talent and tenacity can cut through the noise. And as music streaming continues to open up new avenues for women artists to get out there through programs that level industry playing fields, such as Spotify’s EQUAL, the industry scales are being balanced one release at a time.

The next wave: Self-made, unfiltered, in control

Ayra Starr, Bloody Civilian, Fave, and Morravey are just some women who represent a new layer of personas emerging from the Afrobeats fold. They’re adding shades of emotional depth to the genre in the 2020s—resonating with new audiences as they showcase their authentic selves and push the genre into bolder territory.

Artists like Juno understand this era of Afrobeats as an ongoing conversation about struggles and personal challenges young Nigerians face. In music, “vulnerability will resonate, and there are a lot of people who get help from these songs,” she says.

Rather than wait for a label’s blessing or a male to cosign, these women are building international fan bases through music streaming, crafting visuals, and releasing work on their terms. Kold AF says, “I love to sit down with producers because I know what works best with me. I’m the one that has the flow, I’m the one that has the voice.”

This isn’t a moment. It’s a movement.

Women are no longer asking to be part of the Afrobeats story. They have been writing, producing, and breaking records, allowing fans to see a dynamic but softer side to the genre in the last five years. From Tems’s genre-bending minimalism to Ayra Starr’s maximalist flair, and the studios powered by Kold AF, the soul of Afrobeats is shifting thanks to these women. They’re here and setting the pace as Afrobeats culture spreads across the world.

Visit our full Afrobeats 2.0 experience on For the Record to discover more.

The Visual Rhythm: How Afrobeats Is Shaping Global Style

September 22, 2025

On November 14, 2023, at London’s O2 Arena, Rema made an unforgettable entrance. Stadiumgoers held their collective breath as he rode onto the stage on a black horse prop cloaked in a billowing cape, his face obscured by a striking mask representing Queen Idia. This imagery paid homage to Rema’s Benin roots, carving out a moment for his culture on a global platform and captivating his audience in the process.

The impact of his performance rippled far beyond the stage. It sparked a global conversation about the power of Afrobeats as a medium for cultural expression, ushering the genre into a new era where visual art and historical storytelling are as crucial as the music. Rema’s bold display is part of a larger trend that has seen Afrobeats evolve from a musical genre into a full-fledged global visual movement over the last five years.

The rise of cinematic storytelling

Artists are now harnessing every visual they can to tell the stories of where they’re from. We see this in the cinematic approach of Cruel Santino and Yemi Alade, who tap into the rich Nollywood aesthetic, fusing its unique style with modern storytelling. Santino’s music videos, for example, often resemble short films and draw inspiration from Nigerian folklore. Videos for tracks like “Raw Dinner” or “4Ever” borrow shots from the style of horror and action films, offering a captivating glimpse into the experience of being a young Nigerian today.

In contrast, Yemi Alade embodies a more dramatic and colorful approach. Her video for “Deceive” begins with a Nollywood-style scene complete with a full cast of actors spelling out a relationship drama. In “Shekere,” featuring the legendary Angelique Kidjo, her imagery is a vibrant celebration of African spirituality. Both artists are adorned in intricate traditional hairstyles, body paint, and rich fabrics, creating a visual tribute to ancestral wisdom and feminine strength. Videos like these add a new layer of depth to the genre’s stories by celebrating Nigeria’s visual legacy.

Emerging artists like Kold AF forge personal connections with their audiences by highlighting specific cultural elements. Kold AF’s visual aesthetic is an extension of her persona: She states, “My aesthetic isn’t curated, it’s what I love, from my dark colors to my dreadlocks, which I see as my crown.” In her “Manyana” music video, she dons simple, elegant black and white pieces that show her as she is. And hair-braiding scenes with friends both match the song’s relaxed energy and reflect ordinary communal traditions of life in the Delta. This shows how her style and music are deeply connected, telling a cohesive, authentic story that is a direct reflection of her identity.

Fashion as a cultural statement

Afrobeats’ influence goes beyond music, making it a global force shaping style and fashion. It was once rare to see Afrobeats artists on the red carpet, but in the 2020s, they’ve created memorable moments. From Tems’s viral Oscars dress to her wax print look by Ozwald Boateng at the 2025 Met Gala and Burna Boy‘s appearance at the Met Gala in Burberry, the style exuded by Afrobeats artists is changing how the world sees West African fashion: less about textiles and more about cultural exchange and growing influence. 

Asake embodies this shift as his style becomes more luxurious, with collaborations that have seen him show at the Jacquemus show during Paris Fashion Week. With high-profile artists’ representing African and diasporic fashion on the global stage, Afrobeats shows its power as a cultural force where style is as celebrated as the music.

Clothing has also become a powerful statement of identity in the 2020s. Odumodublvck’s signature red hat, the traditional Igbo okpu agu, serves as a powerful symbol of bravery and leadership and encourages his young fans to connect with their cultural roots. Similarly, Asake’s visual identity is driven by his bold, nonconformist style. His fashion, from the iconic pink Agbada-style suit in the “Joha” video to his looks in “Sungba (Remix),” is a form of visual storytelling that blends indigenous Nigerian culture with a modern, cutting-edge aesthetic.

A platform for African creatives

“Music can’t exist without fashion,” says leading West African stylist Swazzi. He adds that “fashion plays a big role in interpreting good stories in Afrobeats music videos” and highlights the importance of style to the genre’s visual narratives. “I always try to include made-in-Africa designs,” he says, explaining why he champions local talent. “African designers are the future; the global audience needs to see a lot more.”

The genre is a vital route for African designers to reach a global audience, with musicians and fashion houses forming powerful partnerships that elevate both industries. West African textiles and distinctive designs are brought into the global spotlight, with artists’ being the driving force behind how African creativity influences the international stage. For example, Burna Boy’s “Twice As Tall” tour featured stunning costumes by Nigerian fashion house Tokyo James. Artists including Davido and Zlatan are moving beyond simple tour merchandise to create full-on, well-designed clothing collections that are taken seriously as fashion.

Throughout this decade, Afrobeats has moved far beyond the flossy, bling-heavy aesthetic of the past. Using meticulously crafted visuals, intentional fashion choices, and strategic collaborations, this new generation of artists has become a potent cultural force. They are actively showcasing the richness, diversity, and dynamism of African identity to the world. As the genre continues its global ascent, its influence on African culture is set to grow even further, promising an even richer fabric of visual storytelling for years to come.

Visit our full Afrobeats 2.0 experience on For the Record to discover more.

From the Dance Floor to Daydreams: How Afrobeats Found Its Soul

September 22, 2025

The silence came first. In the spring of 2020, as the world locked its doors, the exuberant, continent-spanning pulse of Afrobeats suddenly had nowhere to go. Dance floors emptied. Festivals fell quiet. For a genre built on collective motion and kinetic joy, the stillness felt like a fade to black.

But the beat didn’t stop. It evolved. The tempos began to drift downward, the bass lines softened their punch, and melodies made room for a melancholic hum. In that quiet, a more complicated and resonant sound emerged—one that carried not just celebration, but longing, vulnerability, and the intricate truths that surface between life’s highs and lows.

Today, Afrobeats is no longer a monolith of feel-good anthems. It has blossomed into a genre of profound emotional range, capable of igniting a stadium one night and soundtracking a solitary evening the next. Its contemporary power lies in this very duality: a seamless glide between euphoric rhythm and thoughtful introspection. This is the story of how the party got personal.

This sonic maturation wasn’t an overnight revolution, but a deliberate shedding of expectations led by a generation of artists who saw no contradiction between the clubs and the house parties.

From golden age to alté wave

To understand the shift, one must recall the genre’s golden age in the late 2000s. It was a time of unapologetic opulence, when titans like D’banj, P-Square, and a rising Wizkid crafted a soundtrack of joyous, stylish, and gloriously loud maximalism. Songs like Wizkid’s “Holla at Your Boy” or Wande Coal’s “Bumper to Bumper” were sonic champagne, all booming beats and irresistible hooks that felt like pure celebration.

But even as Afrobeats began its global conquest, a countercurrent was forming. By the mid-2010s, a subtle deceleration had begun. Burna Boy’s early work, like the languid “Like to Party,” and Mr Eazi’s signature, minimalist “Banku music” on tracks like “Skin Tight” introduced a lower tempo and a more intimate, conversational feel. These slower tracks began to redefine the genre’s very identity. Spotify data mirrors this gradual slowing. In 2015, the average Afrobeats track clocked in at a brisk 119 beats per minute (BPM). By 2025, that average had cooled to 114 BPM, a seemingly small change that created significant space for new moods.

Then came the alté wave, an avant-garde movement that challenged every remaining convention. Led by artists like Odunsi (The Engine), Cruel Santino, and Lady Donli, this subgenre was an ethos as much as a sound. Blending R&B, funk, lo-fi, and indie rock with a heavy dose of nostalgia, alté artists rejected rigid formulas in favor of radical self-expression. Their success—Spotify streams of alté music surged by more than 670% since 2020—didn’t just create a new lane; it blew the doors open for the mainstream, signalling that creative risk was rewarded.

Slowing soul tempos

That spirit of fusion has since defined the 2020s. A vibrant ecosystem of subgenres has taken root, each expanding the genre’s sonic and emotional palette. Artists like Rema and Fireboy DML weave soul and pop into their Afrobeats frameworks on tracks that explore heartbreak and uncertainty, their plaintive vocals gliding over propulsive rhythms. From South Africa, Afropiano introduced amapiano’s hypnotic bass lines and sprawling textures, its streams exploding by more than 11,000% since 2020. Meanwhile, the prayerful, spiritual themes of Afro Adura have resonated profoundly, with its listenership rising by more than 40,000% in the same period.

The genre’s biggest contemporary hits tell the same story of deceleration. Burna Boy’s Grammy-winning “Last Last,” a masterpiece of joyous melancholy, cruises at a relaxed 88 BPM. Oxlade’s global smash “KU LO SA” sways at 93 BPM. Even Rema’s “Calm Down,” one of the most-streamed Afrobeats songs in history, sits at a relatively modest 107 BPM.

Listening habits reflect a clear appetite for this new emotionality. In Nigeria, Spotify data shows that the most-streamed mood category is “whiny,” which is characterized by expressive, emotionally charged vocals, accounting for 35% of streams. Globally, that number climbs to 38%, proving that this vulnerability is a universal language.

This is more than a musical trend; it’s a generational shift in storytelling. Younger African artists, more open about mental health, loss, and the anxieties of modern life, are channeling that complexity into their music. It’s why the Afrobeats of today can soundtrack a wedding, a breakup, and a meditation session with equal authenticity. Contrast the raw, suffocating heartbreak in Llona’s “Can’t Breathe” with the defiant self-assurance of Ayra Starr’s “Rush.” Both are essential, and both are Afrobeats.

This newfound duality is the genre’s greatest strength. In the hands of its current vanguard, Afrobeats has learned to hold space for both silence and celebration. As CKay’s “Love Nwantiti” proved to the world, longing can be a global anthem. As Omah Lay captured on “Soso,” emotional fatigue can be rendered with breathtaking beauty. And as Tems demonstrated on “Free Mind,” the search for inner peace can be a collective experience.

Afrobeats has matured, embracing its own beautiful contradictions. It’s no longer just the sound of the party. It’s the sound of the human experience. Its power, now, lies not in how loudly it’s played, but in how deeply it resonates. And that is a rhythm destined to last.

Visit our full Afrobeats 2.0 experience on For the Record to discover more.

Colombia’s Caribbean Coast Leads a New Music Wave

August 14, 2025

Colombia has long been a powerhouse of musical innovation. From Medellín’s reggaetón revolution to Bogotá’s indie and rock scenes and Cali’s salsa legacy, artists from across the country have helped shape the sound of Latin America. Now, Colombia’s Caribbean coast is stepping into the spotlight, driven by a new generation of artists claiming their space with pride, creativity, and global ambition.

Home to vibrant cities like Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Valledupar, the Colombian Caribbean is rich in culture. The region’s musical contributions include genres like vallenato, a traditional folk style known for its storytelling and distinctive use of the accordion, and champeta, an Afro-Colombian rhythm from Cartagena that blends African influences with Caribbean percussion. Many local artists got their start in champeta, which continues to shape their music. But their sound is evolving, now inflected with Afrobeats, reggaetón, pop, and experimental styles.

Afrobeats, in particular, are gaining momentum in Colombia—in both listening and local production. Colombia is becoming a regional leader in Afrobeats-inspired music, especially in its Pacific and Caribbean regions. Artists are fusing traditional rhythms with Afrobeats, creating new sounds that are reaching audiences far beyond the coast. In fact, streams of Afrobeats in Colombia have surged by more than 580% since 2022 on Spotify, a sign of just how deeply the genre is resonating with fans and creators alike.

Below, we spotlight seven standout artists from the region, each bringing their own style and energy to Colombia’s evolving music scene.

Meet the artists redefining Colombia’s Caribbean sound

Hamilton

Cartagena’s Hamilton is at the forefront of Colombian Afrobeats. With more than 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, he blends sleek Afrobeats production with melodies rooted in his hometown. Tracks like “Mi Reina,” “A Poca Luz,” and “Madrid” have racked up millions of streams, while collaborations with artists like Justin Quiles and Ryan Castro have expanded his reach.

Aria Vega

Barranquilla’s ARIA VEGA brings a fresh perspective to urban music, merging contemporary pop with her Colombian roots. Her 2025 single “Costeñita,” a collaboration with DEKKO, was created at Casa Spotify Medallo and has topped 1.5 million streams. Another standout, “La Última” with Juan Duque and Kapo, has reached 2.4 million streams.

Luister La Voz

Cartagena’s Luister La Voz (Luis Carlos Cabeza De Ávila) is known for his heartfelt vocals and a strong coastal identity. Drawing on champeta and romantic melodies, he’s struck a chord with younger listeners. With hits like “Otra Cosa (Remix)” and “Espacio,” his appearances on Colombia’s Viral 50 chart highlight his impact.

Zaider

With more than a decade in music, Zaider is one of the most recognizable voices of the Colombian Caribbean. He started in champeta and now blends Afrobeats into his sound, bringing a distinct coastal style to his tracks. His hit “Alma” with Kapo has been streamed more than 20 million times, and collaborations with artists like Goyo and Blessd have helped him reach new audiences.

Criss & Ronny

Twins from Cartagena, Criss & Ronny first broke onto the scene as dancers—a physicality that comes through in their music. Their fusion of champeta and Afrobeats is made for the dance floor: bold, rhythmic, and catchy. Their viral hit “El Sticker” has amassed more than 12 million streams, and their fanbase continues to grow.

LuisRa

Valledupar’s LuisRa is breathing new life into the classic genre of vallenato. By blending his city’s storytelling traditions with reggaetón and Afrobeats, he’s reaching new generations of listeners. His top track, “Como Así,” has surpassed 5.5 million streams.

Barboza

Cartagena’s Barboza is a fast-rising star in Colombian Afrobeats. “Tus Labios,” his collaboration with Jheral, is his most-streamed track, and in 2025, his plays jumped by more than 5,000%. With a raw-yet-refined style, Barboza is helping bring the Colombian Caribbean’s newest voices to a global audience.

To discover even more of Colombia’s sound, press play on Spotify’s Made in Colombia playlist.

El Caribe colombiano impulsa el nuevo sonido del país

August 14, 2025

¡Colombia siempre ha sido potencia en innovación musical! Desde la revolución del reggaetón en Medellín, pasando por las escenas indie y rockeras en Bogotá, y el legado salsero de Cali, los artistas del país han moldeado el sonido de la región. Hoy, la mirada se posa sobre la Costa Caribe colombiana, impulsada por una nueva generación de talentos que están reclamando su espacio con orgullo, creatividad y ambición global.

Con ciudades como Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta y Valledupar, el Caribe colombiano es un territorio profundamente cultural. Aquí nacieron joyas como el vallenato—con sus historias y el inconfundible acordeón—y la champeta, ese ritmo afrocolombiano nacido en Cartagena que mezcla influencias africanas con percusiones caribeñas.  Muchos de los artistas actuales comenzaron precisamente en la champeta, un género que sigue marcando el pulso de su música. Sin embargo, sus sonidos están en evolución, y hoy integran elementos del Afrobeats, el reggaetón, el pop y otras propuestas experimentales.

Y ojo con los Afrobeats, porque están prendidos en Colombia. No solo en escuchas, también en producción local. El país se está volviendo referencia en este sonido, sobre todo en la costa Caribe y el Pacífico, mezclando ritmos de casa con beats africanos y creando algo nuevo que viaja más allá del mar. Para que te hagas una idea: en Spotify, las reproducciones de Afrobeats en Colombia crecieron más de un 580% desde 2022. Eso habla de una conexión real entre género, fans y creadores.

Los siete artistas que están encendiendo la Costa

Hamilton

Desde Cartagena, Hamilton lidera la movida de Afrobeats en Colombia. Tiene más de 2 millones de oyentes mensuales en Spotify y suena fino, mezclando beats elegantes con melodías costeñas. Sus temas  “Mi Reina,” “A Poca Luz,” y “Madrid”  suman millones de streams, y sus colabs con  Justin Quiles y Ryan Castro  han llevado su música a otro nivel.

Aria Vega

Barranquilla le dio al mundo a ARIA VEGA, una voz que mezcla pop contemporáneo con raíces colombianas. Su sencillo “Costeñita” (2025) junto a DEKKO, grabado en Casa Spotify Medallo, supera 1.5M de streams. Y “La Última” con Juan Duque y Kapo, ya va en 2.4M.

Luister La Voz

Cartagena también tiene a Luister La Voz  (Luis Carlos Cabeza De Ávila), con un sonido que se siente auténtico y cercano. Parte de champeta, parte de balada romántica, conecta fuerte con el público joven. Temas como  “Otra Cosa (Remix)” y “Espacio” lo han puesto varias veces en el Viral 50 Colombia.

Zaider

Más de una década en la música y Zaider sigue innovando. Empezó en champeta, pero ahora combina su flow costeño con Afrobeats.“Alma” junto a Kapo tiene más de 20M de streams, y trabajar con Goyo y Blessd lo ha llevado a nuevos públicos.

Criss & Ronny

Criss & Ronny son unos gemelos cartageneros pasaron del baile al micrófono, y se nota: su música es puro movimiento. Fusionan champeta y Afrobeats con un estilo pegajoso y listo para la pista. Su hit viral “El Sticker” ya pasó los 12M de reproducciones.

LuisRa

Con tan solo 22 años y directamente desde Valledupar, LuisRa le está dando un refresh al vallenato. Lo mezcla con reggaetón y Afrobeats para conquistar a nuevas generaciones. “Como Así” es su tema más escuchado, con más de 5.5M de streams.

Barboza

Cartagena tiene en Barboza a una de las promesas más frescas del Afrobeats colombiano. “Tus Labios”, junto a Jheral, es su hit más fuerte, y en 2025 sus plays crecieron un 5.000%. Su estilo crudo pero fino está llevando la voz del Caribe a todas partes.

Descubre aún más del sonido de Colombia: dale play a la playlist Made in Colombia en Spotify.

Spotify Amplifies Colombia’s Booming Local Music Scene With ‘Súbele a Eso’ Initiative

May 5, 2025

In Colombia, music isn’t just background noise—it’s center stage. It’s the heart of every party, the energy that flows through neighborhoods, generations, and regions. And if there’s one thing the past decade of streaming has made clear, it’s that Colombia doesn’t just export talent—it proudly celebrates it at home.

Now Spotify is launching “Súbele a Eso” (“Turn That Up”), a new initiative to amplify the growing connection between Colombians and their vibrant cultural identity. Spotify took to the streets of Bogotá, Cali, and Cartagena to document where and how music is truly lived—on street corners and inside homes, raw and unfiltered.

 

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Since entering the market in 2013, Spotify has been moving to Colombia’s rhythm, witnessing firsthand the incredible growth of local music. Today, Colombia turns up the volume on its local artists—literally—more than 60% of countries around the world.

This underscores a remarkable transformation in recent years. In 2020, only 3 of every 10 songs in Colombia’s Top 50 chart were by Colombian artists. Since then, the time Colombians spend listening to local artists has skyrocketed by nearly 600%. Currently, more than half of the Top 50 chart (56%) features local artists, showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of the country’s music scene.

“For the past 10 years, we’ve witnessed how streaming has not only opened more opportunities for local artists, but has also become the perfect tool for building stronger, more lasting fan communities,” said Manuela Echeverry, Artist & Label Partnerships Lead for the Andean Region at Spotify. “There are more than 700 million user-created playlists on Spotify that include our music in all its diversity. Today, we’re more certain than ever that this is our flag: the variety of sounds and voices that exist in Colombia.”

The sounds of Colombia: Vallenato, música popular, and Afrobeats

Genres like vallenato and música popular are resonating strongly with young listeners in Colombia who are rediscovering icons like Los Diablitos and Binomio de Oro. Local vallenato streams have increased by 50% on Spotify compared to last year, while artists like Luis Alfonso and Nico Hernández are capturing the hearts of younger audiences in the música popular scene.

Colombian Afrobeats are also breaking through, with a 186% increase in local streams on Spotify compared to last year. Artists like Beéle and Kapo are leading the national charts, with Kapo’s collaboration with Danny Ocean, “Imagínate,” charting for more than 20 weeks and Beéle topping Colombia’s Top 50.

Spotify Partners With Les Flammes Music Awards To Celebrate French Rap

April 24, 2024

Spotify is once again teaming up with Les Flammes, the only music awards dedicated to rap, R&B, Afrobeats, and popular culture in France.

Spotify helped create Les Flammes in 2023 to celebrate and highlight the French-speaking artists who are actively shaping new cultural trends. Rap is a hugely prominent genre in France—on Spotify, the top five most-listened-to artists in the country have hailed from rap, hip-hop, and R&B for the past several years.

Ahead of the ceremony on April 25, let’s take a moment to highlight the impact of last year’s inaugural event, and also spotlight the 2024 nominees.

 

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Looking back at Les Flammes 2023

Not only was Les Flammes 2023 a success, but it also impacted music consumption on Spotify in France. Rap and hip-hop have continued to gain steam since last year’s ceremony, with French artist listenership increasing by 15% among users aged 25-44 and 12% among users aged 24-29 and users over 55.

In addition, several winners saw an increase in streams in France in the past year:

    • Maureen saw her streams jump by 314%. The former RADAR artist’s track “Laptop” was awarded best Caribbean or Caribbean-Inspired Song.
    • Streams for Aya Nakamura, who won the Female Artist of the Year award, increased by 97%.
    • Hamza, winner of the best R&B Song award with Tiakola for “Atasanté,” recorded a 93% increase in streams.
    • Tiakola saw a 71% increase in streams. The artist won the New Pop Album of the Year award, as well as best Afro or Afro-Inspired Song.

Looking forward to Les Flammes 2024

A number of artists up for awards at this year’s ceremony have already made their mark. Among the male nominees, that includes Yamê, an artist supported by Spotify’s RADAR program; Favé; and Werenoi.

    • Yamê’s streams have skyrocketed by 12,883%. Nominated for Male Revelation of the Year and New Pop Album of the Year, he’s the fastest-growing male French-language rap/hip-hop artist of the year in France.
    • Favé, also nominated for Male Revelation of the Year, has seen a 561% increase in streams.
    • Werenoi’s streams are up 606%. The artist is up for Spotify Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Male Artist of the Year.

Among the female nominees:

    • Shay has seen a 65% increase in streams. Nominated for Video of the Year, she’s the third-fastest-growing female French-language rap/hip-hop artist of the year in France.
    • Nej, an EQUAL artist, has recorded a 36% increase in streams. She’s up for Female Artist of the Year.

And while this year’s ceremony will be held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Spotify will also host a special viewing party in Marseille. The event will reinforce the sense of unity that characterizes Les Flammes while also celebrating the city’s vibrant hip-hop scene. Photocalls, food, and DJ sets will keep the party going for more than 500 attendees as screens project the awards ceremony.

The international influence of French artists

Beyond France’s borders, French pop, hip-hop, and rap artists continue to gain notoriety, especially as Spotify helps reduce language barriers and enable local artists to gain visibility in non-French-speaking markets:

    • Gazo, Ninho, and Tiakola are all among the top 10 most-streamed French R&B/hip-hop artists outside of France.
    • Favé and Yamê are both among the top 50 most-streamed French-language R&B/hip-hop artists outside of France.
    • Indila and Aya Nakamura are the first- and second-most-streamed French pop artists outside of France, respectively.

Stream our official playlist for Les Flammes 2024 to hear this year’s nominated artists.

Content Creator Sebastien Andrade Reveals How You Can Get Three Free Months of Spotify Premium

November 27, 2023

With more than 10 million followers on TikTok and many more across platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, Sebastien Andrade is part of an exciting new wave of social media content creators who are making their mark. Based in Miami, the recent Florida International University grad has been a lifelong music lover, especially when it comes to Afrobeats and reggaeton. That’s why Spotify teamed up with him to help share our Holiday 2023 Premium Offer with his fans—and all eligible listeners. 

From November 27 through December 31, eligible Spotify Free and first-time Spotify listeners who sign up for our Individual Premium plan will get three months for free. And for those missing their Individual Premium plan who canceled before Oct 27, Spotify is offering three months of the Individual Premium plan for just $10.99—less than $4 a month.

As a premium user, Sebastien loves being able to listen to playlists like Afro Hits and Baila Reggaeton on demand, ad-free, and with unlimited skips, and has been especially excited about recent new features like DJ and daylist—and he’s been telling the world about the perks of going Premium. For the Record wanted to know more about the artists, songs, and playlists Sebastien loves the most, so we sat down with him to find out.

Who are some of your favorite Afrobeats and reggaeton artists?

In terms of Afrobeats, there’s a lot of Wizkid on my playlist for sure. “Fever” is one of my favorite songs and it had to be on there. Same with his song “Ghetto Love.”

Burna Boy is also on there, as well as Rema and Ayra Starr, who are on the come-up. I really like them. And when it comes to reggaeton, I’ve been listening to a lot of Bad Gyal, Young Miko, Sech, Karol G, and Emilia. 

How about top Spotify playlists for those genres?

Usually I listen to my own playlists, but if I want to find some new songs, there’s one called Afro Hits that I’m into. There’s also one called Baila Reggaeton where I always discover new songs that I like.

Do you have a go-to Spotify feature for discovering music?

When you’re making playlists, there’s a feature at the bottom that suggests more songs with a similar vibe to add. It’s kind of like Smart Shuffle, but for making playlists.

It will recommend songs that I forgot about, and it’s great to just have it pop up there as a reminder.

Do you have any favorite Premium features?

I was using DJ last night and the songs X was choosing took me back to being in the car with my mom when I was a kid. It played this old Drake song that I forgot about called “Signs” and I was like, that’s crazy. 

I like that X will jump in and be like, “Here’s what’s coming up next,” and then explain why DJ picked those songs. I also like how it switches up the vibe every so often. I can keep listening for hours.

I was also using daylist recently and it created this playlist for me that was called something like “Island Time Vacation.” I actually discovered another Wizkid song called “Anoti” that ended up on my playlist.

When you’re driving through Miami, what are three songs that perfectly set the vibe? 

When I’m in my car, I always see people on their boats, and I like to imagine I’m on a boat too. So in those moments, I’ll obviously put on Wizkid’s “Fever.” But I’ll also queue up Sech’s “911” and Cris MJ’s “Una Noche en Medellín.” That last song is about the Colombian city, but it still has a big Miami vibe.

Don’t forget to give yourself the gift of ad-free music listening with our three-month free Premium offer. Just go to spotify.com/premium. And after you do that, check out our Afro Hits playlists to discover all the Afrobeats icons Sebastien can’t stop listening to. 

Spotify Is Putting the Spotlight on Afrobeats to Chart Its Global Rise

October 19, 2023

With more than 15 billion streams (and counting), there’s no doubt that Afrobeats as a genre is making an impact across the globe. Artists like Shallipopi, Sarz, Ruger, and Bloody Civilian are taking their music beyond the sound’s birthplace in West Africa and bringing a truly global collaboration in sound. 

Back in June we announced the launch of the Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams site to celebrate the history, growth, and milestones of the genre. Our support continued in the following months and culminated in an Afrobeats Celebration event in Lagos last weekend. Now, as Rema‘s “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez joins the Spotify billions club as the first African artist–led track to hit a billion streams, we’re ready to bring even more Afrobeats content to fans. Kicking things off, we’ve launched the Afrobeats hub. From genre fusions and old-school classics to new alternative hits and Afro mood playlists, the hub is a one-stop shop that brings together all flavors of Afrobeats.

We’re also delivering new articles, videos, and more to the Afrobeats site, documenting history, culture, fashion, and upcoming trends. Podcasters Jola Ayeye and Feyikemi Abudu from the African millennial show I Said What I Said and Joey Akan from the in-depth audio exploration that is Afrobeats Intelligence will also lend their unique perspectives and voices along for the ride, starting with a video of their respective live shows from the Afrobeats Celebration.