7 of the Top Artists, Genres, and Songs from Several of Spotify’s Newest Markets

Back in February, during our Stream On event, we announced plans to expand Spotify to 80+ new markets worldwide—our biggest expansion to date. We reached this milestone just a few short weeks later. Through these launches, we’re helping to ensure that sounds and stories that once remained local can now reach a global audience. And reach a global audience they have.

It’s been more than 90 days since Spotify expanded at this scale, so we took the opportunity to dig into the data. We’ve seen a few things: Local artists and genres are beloved in their markets; superstars from around the world can find new listeners in these locations; and the music of these new markets is already proliferating across continents and the globe. The one thing each location has in common? Everyone loves Today’s Top Hits!

Check out some of the unique findings from seven of the 80+ markets below. Then, get to know a little bit of each country’s sound by streaming the top song from a local artist. 

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan sits between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, but its artists are starting to find their footing both within and outside the region. Beyond Azerbaijan, all three top local artists—Xpert, Epi, and Okaber—claim their biggest listening bases in Turkey, the U.S., and Russia. 

Cambodia

Fandom goes deep in Cambodia: Eight out of 10 of the most-played local songs in the country are by local artist VannDa-វណ្ណដា. The 24-year-old singer’s unique sound combines traditional instruments with English-language rap and a steady beat.

Côte d’Ivoire

For most of the new markets, U.S.-based creators take up the bulk of the top slots. But the top-streamed artist in Côte d’Ivoire, Belgian-Congolese rapper, singer, and songwriter Damso, sets the West African nation apart from the other markets on this list. 

Georgia

Დაგდაგანი (Dagdagani) is the most-played local artist in Georgia. Outside of their mountain-filled country, the rock band has the most listeners in the U.S., Russia, and Germany despite only bordering one of those markets. 

Nepal

Nepal is home to the famed Mount Everest and an acoustic experimental group called Tribal Rain, which is the market’s most-streamed artist. Outside of Nepal, the band receives the most listens from fans in India, Australia, and the U.S.

Senegal

In Senegal, French genres such as pop urbaine, French hip-hop, and rap Français top the global genres list. This sets Senegal apart from many of the other markets we looked at, which see more global genres like pop, rap, hip-hop, and dance pop in their top five. 

Trinidad & Tobago

Adding calypso and soca to your playlists? Better add Trinibad—the most-played local genre on the islands. This newer genre, a cousin of Jamaican dancehall, has its own artists, flavor, and now following on Spotify.