Nigerian music sensation, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has made history by becoming the first African artist to surpass 9 billion streams on Spotify across all credited songs. This milestone cements his position as one of the most successful and globally recognized African musicians.
The major contributor to this streaming feat is his global hit, One Dance, a collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake and British singer Kyla. The song alone accounts for 3.7 billion streams and is among the top 10 most streamed songs of all time on the platform. It also holds a Guinness World Record as the first single to cross 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Wizkid’s highest-streamed lead single is Essence, featuring Nigerian songstress Tems, with over 303 million streams. The song has been widely praised for its crossover appeal and has contributed significantly to the global rise of Afrobeats.
Despite Wizkid’s record-breaking achievement, American pop star Taylor Swift continues to dominate Spotify as the most streamed artist, with over 1.5 billion streams. Nonetheless, Wizkid’s 9 billion milestone marks a monumental moment for African music on the global stage.
