Wizkid becomes first African to hit over 9 billion streams on Spotify

Global Afrobeats sensation Ayodeji Balogun, better known as Wizkid, has reached a remarkable milestone by becoming the first African artist to achieve over 9 billion streams across all credits on Spotify.

This significant achievement not only reinforces his position as one of the most influential and commercially successful African artists of all time but also showcases the global appeal of his music.

Wizkid’s most popular track is undoubtedly the 2016 hit “One Dance,” a collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake and British singer Kyla, which boasts an impressive 3.7 billion streams on Spotify alone. This chart-topping single holds a prestigious place in music history, ranking among the top 10 most streamed songs ever on the platform, and it also earned a Guinness World Record as the first song to exceed 1 billion streams.

As a lead artist, Wizkid’s most successful track is the Grammy-nominated “Essence,” featuring Tems, which has garnered over 303 million streams. This song has become a global anthem and a crucial turning point for the mainstream acceptance of Afrobeats.

Wizkid’s streaming success places him among the elite ranks of the most streamed artists worldwide. While American pop icon Taylor Swift leads the pack with over 1.5 billion monthly streams, Wizkid’s latest achievement signifies a major victory for African music on the international stage.