Spotify has named Burna Boy, Rema, and Wizkid as the leading Afrobeats artistes of 2025.
The music streaming platform announced the ranking on Monday, adding Asake and Ayra Starr to complete the top five list.
According to Spotify, Afrobeats continues to expand globally, with fans streaming artists like Rema, Wizkid, and Burna Boy from Nigeria to Brazil. The platform encouraged listeners to explore the top songs, artistes, and countries driving the genre’s growth worldwide.
Among the most-streamed Afrobeats tracks of the year are Ayra Starr’s Santa featuring Rauw Alejandro and Rvssian, Moliy’s Shake It To The Max (FLY) – Remix with Shenseea, Silent Addy and Skillibeng, and Rema’s global hit Calm Down with Selena Gomez.
Burna Boy’s collaborative track We Pray with Coldplay, Elyanna, Little Simz, and Tini also featured, alongside Libianca’s viral single People.
Spotify further revealed that the United States, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Nigeria are the leading countries discovering and streaming Afrobeats in 2025.
Notably missing from the top list is Davido, a consistent champion of Afrobeats and one of its biggest global ambassadors. Also absent is South African singer Tyla, who has won back-to-back awards for Best Afrobeats at the MTV Video Music Awards, despite identifying more with Amapiano. Tems, who won Best African Music at the 2025 Grammy Awards, was also not included.
Afrobeats, which traces its roots to Afrobeat pioneered by the late Fela Kuti, has evolved into a distinct global genre. Early stars like D’banj, Timaya, Wizkid, Davido, and Tiwa Savage first pushed the sound into international recognition.
In recent years, Burna Boy, Rema, Asake, Ayra Starr, and Tems have carried the “Afrobeats to the World” movement, breaking boundaries and dominating global charts.
Despite some criticism about its unity and questions on whether it matches the dominance of pop, rap, or Latin music, Afrobeats continues to grow its international fan base and cement its global appeal.