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The most streamed artist in Africa 2022 list is an exciting prospect. African music has experienced tremendous growth in the last few years, and the continent can now proudly boast of some of the world’s most famous artists.
Streaming services such as Mdundo, Spotify & Apple Music have made it easier than ever for African music to reach a global audience. This has been most evident with the meteoric rise of artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tems. They are some of the most streamed African artists worldwide – a testament to their influence and reach.
The streaming revolution has allowed more African talent to be heard by a global audience. As a result, competition is growing amongst African musicians to become Africa’s most streamed artists.
Which Album Has The Most Streams in Africa 2022?
The most streamed album in Africa 2022 is Love, Damini– Burna Boy’s fourth studio album. On this ground-breaking, Grammy Award-winning album, Burna Boy reveals a different side of himself; his genuine emotions and self-growth come to life through the words and melodies. Filled with mesmerizing tunes such as Last Last, It’s Plenty, Cloak and Dagger with J Hus, and For my hand with Ed Sheeran—to name only a few. The records it has broken since its release are astounding. Now nominated for 2023 Grammy Awards recognition, Burna Boy’s talent shines vibrantly on this work of art.
Who Is The Most Streamed African Artists on Spotify 2022?
African music today is record-breaking in every sense from amapiano to afrobeats that have made the world sit up. With the likes of Tems bringing grammy awards back home, these top 10 African artists are on track to deliver more.
1. Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu – better known by Burna Boy is the most streamed artist in Africa 2022. At Nigeria’s Spotify 2022 Wrapped edition, Burna Boy’s track ‘It’s Plenty’ was declared as the most streamed song. He made history as the first artist from Nigeria to win a Grammy Award after being nominated two years in a row. His release, ‘Twice As Tall’, was a massive hit, and his most streamed songs include ‘Ye’, ‘Anybody’ and ‘On The Low’.
2. Wizkid (Nigeria)
Wizkid is a Nigerian most streamed African artist with an impressive track record of 4.6 billion listens on Spotify alone. He’s one of the top-selling artists in Nigeria and has earned himself the title “The Greatest Showman from Africa.”
Wizkid’s album “Made In Lagos’ ‘ in its first year, received more than one billion plays, making him the most streamed artist in Africa 2022. His song Essence featuring Tems and Come Closer ft. Drake are Nigeria’s highest-streamed record on Spotify, totaling 9.1 million monthly listeners. Wizkid’s incredible talent has quickly achieved such remarkable success—breaking multiple international music charts in just 12 months.
3. Tems (Nigeria)
Adesola Tems is a Nigerian singer-songwriter who debuted in 2020 and has already earned international recognition. Her most streamed single, “Try Me” has over 60 million streams, and her most successful album, ” Afro Nation, ” debuted at number three on the US Billboard World Albums Chart. Tems’ rose to global recognition when she featured on Wizkid’s top-charting single ‘Essence’. What is more, Tems Baby this early 2023 won a grammy award for her role in ‘Wait for You,’ ‘performed with Future and Drake.
Her ongoing success has earned her the title of “golden voice” for Afrobeats, and this past year she claimed a BET award and BMI trophy and reached one billion streams via Spotify.
4. Asake (Nigeria)
Nigerian sensation Asake cannot miss the list of the most streamed artists in Africa. In 2022, Asake arrived on the scene and quickly became a music industry sensation. His music, blending Afrobeats and amapiano, has made waves worldwide. With multiple back-to-back hits, tons of features, and two EPs already out, anticipation was high for their newest studio album Mr Money with The Vibe. And it did not disappoint; upon its official debut in September that same year, the album shot to number eight on Spotify’s worldwide albums chart.
In November, Asake was voted as the Artist of the Year for 2022 at AFRIMMAs, and shortly after that, in December, he was named by streaming platform Audiomack as their own Artist of the Year. This remarkable accomplishment solidified Asake’s status as one of today’s leading and most streamed African artists.
5. Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr, the ‘Bloody Samaritan,’ star, was highly streamed both nationally and internationally in 2021 – making her one of the most streamed artists in Africa 2022. She earned her way onto the Billboard Hot 100 with her self-titled debut EP released in 2022, followed by the release of 19 & Dangerous. Ayra Star also joined forces with Kelly Rowland for a remix of ‘Bloody Samaritan’, further elevating her booming career.
Her hit collaboration with Magixx, Rush, made it to Spotify’s top 50 Nigerian Hits of 2022 and has earned her over 2.7 million monthly listeners.
6. Zakes Bantwini (South Africa)
In 2022, South African singer-songwriter Zakes Bantwini rocked the music industry with his Ghetto King album. Fusing EDM and tribal house styles, it yielded the smash hit single ‘Osama’, which topped Radiomonitor SA’s charts at No 1. Apple Music even featured him as Isgubhu cover star in February.
Bantwini was honored with two awards at the 2022 South African Music Awards for the Best Collaboration and SAMRO Highest Radio Airplay Composer. In 2020, his song ‘Bayethe’ with Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Performance. To top it off, he was also awarded Musician of the Year at GQ’s Men of the Year Awards in December – adding to his growing list of accolades.
7. Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)
In 2022, Sha Sha remained a significant presence in the Southern African music industry. Her ‘iPiano’ video featuring Kamo Mphela and Felo Le Tee made her one of the most streamed artists in Africa 2022. She then unveiled several new singles, including the I’m Alive album release – an incredible project boasting collaborations from some of the top local artists.
They include Focalistic, DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, Mellow & Sleazy , Ami Faku , Blxckie , Rowlene and A-Reece. October also saw her career reach new heights when she was featured on a massive billboard in bustling Times Square, New York City. This highly respected recognition as one of today’s most streamed African artists is well deserved and her accomplishments are inspiring.
8. Kabza De Small (South Africa)
South Africa’s Kabza De Small had another great year, due to the immense success of his album KOA II Part 1. In 2022, this record topped charts and became the nation’s most streamed artist on Spotify. June was a massive month for Kabza De Small, the ‘Asibe Happy’ hitmaker. Not only did he grace a billboard in Times Square, but his music also made it onto Spotify’s global mint playlist with more than 6 million followers.
9. Eddy Kenzo (Uganda)
Ugandan Eddy Kenzo is the most streamed artist in Africa 2022 most notably for his ability to bring together sounds from all over the continent. He’s most famous for his 2018 smash hit ‘Sitya Loss’, which gained him an MTV Africa Music Award in 2015 and a BET Award in 2016. Eddy Kenzo achieved pop star status in Uganda after receiving a Grammy nomination for the 2023 edition of the awards.
10. DJ Snake (Algeria)
2022 was the year of William Sami Grigahcine, known by his stage name DJ Snake. His “Disco Maghreb” hit won over fans on YouTube with well over 100 million views. By paying tribute to Algerian pop culture in this single, he earned a spot at 44th place in the Top DJs 2022 chart. He garnered two Best Electro Artist and Best African Video nominations at MTV Music Awards and AFIRMAs.
Conclusion
The ten African artists mentioned above are some of the strongest contenders for the title, and with good reason. They are the most streamed in their continent and have earned global recognition for their work. From Kabza De Small and Eddy Kenzo’s beats to DJ Snake’s Disco Maghreb. They have all had fantastic years musically and look set to continue their hot streaks into 2023. Who will be the most streamed artist in Africa next year? Let us know in the comments below.
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