Tag: AmaPiano

How Spotify’s Playlists Captured the Biggest Music Trends of 2023

November 29, 2023

With another year coming to a close, Spotify is back with your personalized Wrapped, our annual recap of your listening highlights from the past 12 months that includes your top songs, artists, and podcasts, as well as your most distinct streaming habits. But we’re also taking a step back and looking at 2023’s biggest music trends on Spotify.

Thanks to the in-the-know editors responsible for creating our editorial playlists as part of the Global Curation Groups, the most iconic musical moments of the year were reflected on Spotify. Whether it was blockbuster movie soundtracks that grabbed the world’s attention, viral social media moments that bubbled up to the mainstream, or classic genres finding new fans in Gen Z, our experts were on top of it all.

For the Record sat down with our editorial team and got the scoop. 

Peso Pluma and Música Mexicana go mainstream

RADAR US artist Peso Pluma made himself known to the world in March with his feature on Eslabon Armado’s “Ella Baila Sola.” Fast-forward to now, and that song is one of the top-five most-streamed songs of 2023 globally—and is about to hit Spotify’s Billions Club. Meanwhile, the Música Mexicana genre at large has enjoyed a surge in popularity, dominating the global charts this summer.

Explore this trend on: Lo Mejor de La Reina 2023, Corridos Perrones, Corridos Tumbados, Today’s Top Hits

Folk rising

In 2023, a slew of indie artists emerged with folk-inspired albums including Mitski, Toro Y Moi, and boygenius. Plus, we heard new folk voices like Searows and 2024 Best New Artist Noah Kahan. 

Explore this trend on: Indie Twang, Juniper

Shoegaze returns courtesy of Gen Z

Shoegaze has been around since the late ’80s, but it experienced a resurgence in 2023 among Gen Z, who found new bands like Wisp as well as aughts stalwarts like Panchiko.

Over the past year, the genre has thrived within various Gen Z internet communities that have fostered pockets of interest and given birth to exciting new acts. Perhaps unknowingly, the emerging class of neo-shoegaze artists is contributing to genre diffusion, blending techniques from various music genres to create something fresh and unique.

Explore this trend on: Shoegaze Now, IRL Angel

Rema carries Afrobeats into Spotify’s Billions Club

Rema has been a hitmaker in Africa since 2019, but it was a collaboration with Selena Gomez on “Calm Down (Remix)” that shot him to international fame in 2023. The global smash earned the Afrobeats star a Grammy nomination, as well as a spot in our highly coveted Billions Club, making “Calm Down” the first African artist-led track to do so. 

Explore this trend on: African Heat, Billions Club, Today’s Top Hits

Taylor Swift’s eras on tour

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour kicked off in March and was the live-music event of the year. Taylor not only picked songs from all 10 of her studio albums to perform in a stunning three-hour show, but she also set aside time each night for acoustic performances of two surprise songs. And according to Taylor’s rules, no two songs could be repeated unless she messed it up the first time. To capture this epic moment, we collected all of the surprise songs in a playlist, which was updated every weekend during the U.S. leg of her tour.

Explore this trend on: Surprise Song Era

Troye Sivan and Hyunjin’s IRL friendship

This past summer, Troye Sivan posted a TikTok that went viral about trying to find Hyunjin of Stray Kids. We joined in on the fun with a playlist and they eventually collabed on a remix of “Rush,” which also featured PinkPantheress.

Explore this trend on: what a moment

Peggy Gou takes house music to the top of the charts

House, one of the original genres of dance music, has grown in popularity since the pandemic. This summer, we saw massive house hits resonate with fans internationally, including Peggy Gou‘s “(It Goes Like) Nanana.” 

Other huge moments for house music include artists like Fred again.., Black Coffee, Chris Lake, and FISHER, who are breaking records around the world, and breakthrough opportunities for exciting artists like LP Giobbi, John Summit, and Dom Dolla

Explore this trend on: Umami, Housewerk presents…Best House of 2023, Summer House

It’s a Barbie world

Ahead of the Barbie release this summer, we saw “Barbiecore” aesthetics manifest in the pop culture zeitgeist. Once we got word that Barbie was going to feature a star-studded soundtrack with hits like Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Aqua’s “Barbie World” and Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night,” we brought all things Barbie to life on Spotify through the “pinkification” of several playlist covers, new editorial playlists, and partner playlists.

Explore this trend on: Hot Pink, Barbie Official Playlist

Hyper techno surges

There was an influx of high-BPM dance pop songs in general, and with it came a new wave of tracks that showcased a harder sound using classic techno and big room beats and basslines. We saw a surge in streams—especially from European Gen Zs—of techno-infused songs like Niklas Dee’s “Not Fair,” Creeds’ “Push Up,” and BENNETT’s “Vois sur ton chemin.”

Explore this trend on: rave, techno party

Jersey Club is everywhere 

Jersey Club production became ubiquitous not only in U.S. hip-hop but around the world. We also saw the genre’s influence find its way into K-Pop and thoughtful electronic music. Pioneers such as DJ Smallz 732, UNIIQU3, and Cookiee Kawaii were tapped to remix some of 2023’s biggest hits, and newcomers such as Kanii, keltiey, and Lay Bankz staked their claims as names to watch.

Explore this trend on: Jersey Club Heat presents…Best Jersey Club Songs of 2023

Tyla’s turns her viral moment into crossover success

South Africa’s Amapiano sound has been winning the hearts of electronic and dance fans after TikTok dances and DJ mixes helped it go viral in 2020. In 2023, RADAR Africa artist Tyla took her career to the next level, blending her R&B sound with Amapiano and South African dance genre Bacardi house on her hit song “Water.” After Spotify Africa’s partnership with the Giants of Africa Festival—a basketball event in Rwanda where Tyla’s viral dance was first seen—many posted their own versions of the dance challenge on social media, which led to “Water” skyrocketing around the world and earning a feature from Travis Scott on the remix.

Explore this trend on: RNB X, RADAR Africa, African Heat, RADAR Global 

Women run hip-hop  

Female rappers continued their reign in 2023, with top names like Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Latto, Ice Spice, Kaliii, Doechii, and the year’s breakout star, Sexyy Red, making some of the most creative and worthwhile hip-hop this year. 

Explore this trend on: RapCaviar presents…Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2023, Feelin’ Myself 

Pop-punk’s greatest legends return

We witnessed the resurgence of pop-punk’s most iconic figures with mainstays like Fall Out Boy, Sum 41, Green Day, and Neck Deep returning in 2023 with a taste of new music. Additionally, blink-182 welcomed back Tom DeLonge and embarked on a global tour to celebrate their new album, ONE MORE TIME…. 

Explore this trend on: Pop Punk’s Not Dead

The nu-metal revival continues

Nu-metal and alternative metal have made triumphant returns this year, with a younger audience discovering and devouring the catalogs of bands like Deftones, Korn, Slipknot, and more. Additionally, we’re seeing a wave of new nu-metal songs from rising artists who are embracing the sound and paying homage to their predecessors.

Explore this trend on: new nü, ALLURE

Alt country crosses over

This trend in country music had a slow build that reached new heights with the release of RADAR US artist Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak in 2022, and took off 2023 with hits like Dylan Gossett’s “Coal.” This acoustic, gritty sound was typically reserved for alternative country and folk playlists in the past, but it has fully moved into the mainstream with songs that have been fan favorites across our flagship playlists. 

Explore this trend on: Hot Country presents…Best Country Songs of 2023, Hot Hits USA, Today’s Top Hits, homegrown

Looking for more of the songs that have left their stamp on 2023? Check out our flagship playlist Today’s Top Hits. 

The Giants of Africa Festival Inspires African Youth to ‘Dream Big’ Through Basketball, Culture, and Music

August 16, 2023

As one of the fastest-growing music markets in the world, Africa is home to dynamic genres like Afrobeats and amapiano that have taken pop music by storm. And while artists like Burna Boy, Rema, CKay, Wizkid, Tems, and Davido have risen as icons on their home continent, they’ve also succeeded on the global stage. 

The future is bright for African music and its stars, but there’s also a new generation of talent outside of music who are ready to show the world what they can do. That’s why we’re teaming up with the Giants of Africa Festival in Kigali, Rwanda, to showcase a shared vision for the continent’s future through music and basketball.   

To tip off the event, which runs August 13-19 and will see over 250 youth from 16 African countries in attendance, we worked with Giants of Africa (GOA) to create a special video, Music In Motion. Featuring players from the Nigeria Youth National Team who took time to share the ways music and basketball are linked in their lives. 

Co-founded by NBA executive Masai Ujiri, GOA uses basketball as an avenue to inspire African youth to dream big while also emphasizing education, empowerment, and leadership. Since 2003, GOA has positively impacted over 40,000 African youth across 17 countries by providing access to basketball courts and skills camps.

Along with the Music In Motion video, Spotify will also be presenting the festival’s closing concert. The headliner will be the magnetic Davido, and he’ll be joined by Tiwa Savage, the Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress known as the Queen of Afrobeats; Rwanda’s own Bruce Melodie, a gifted singer-songwriter known for his soulful melodies; and Tyla, a rising star recently selected as a featured artist for our RADAR program. Their performances promise to create an electrifying atmosphere and leave a lasting impression on festival attendees.

Together with GOA, we’re committed to supporting a new generation of talent by uniting the best of African youth, basketball, music, and culture.

Be sure to hit play on our Giants of Africa playlist, which features Afro hits from the 16 countries represented at the continent’s premier basketball festival. 

Take a Tour of Places Vital to Amapiano’s Roots

March 23, 2023

From township jive in the shebeens to the piercing sounds of Kwaito and house music across taverns and pubs, Amapiano comes from a long legacy of underground music that has made its mark across South Africa — and now the world.

South Africa Looks Back at Five Years of Spotify Streaming

March 13, 2023

When Spotify launched in South Africa in March 2018, new users and music lovers raced onto the platform to stream Thelonious Monk’s “‘Round Midnight.” In the five years since, listeners in the region have made millions of playlists spanning nostalgic jazz, pop, hip-hop, rap, home-grown Amapiano, and much more, and have spent billions of hours listening to podcasts. This has led to thousands of artists and creators finding an audience for their craft, with South African artists themselves having released over one million tracks.

Today, we mark this five-year milestone by looking back on the early days of Spotify streaming in South Africa. 

Originally, the only South African song featured in the first 10 tracks played in the market was Shekhinah’s “Thirsty.” Now, Canadian rapper Drake takes the top spot. He’s followed by Amapiano artist Kabza de Small in second place, The Weeknd and Juice WRLD in third and fourth, and South African DJ Maphorisa to round out the top five. The combination of global and local talent is further testament to the massive appeal and growth of Amapiano, and South African music in general.

“Spotify provides a global platform for these creators to share their music and podcasts with the world, and our entrance into the market has allowed local artists to grow their audiences and monetize their creativity,” said Jocelyne Muhutu–Remy, Managing Director for Spotify in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Spotify programmes like EQUAL, Fresh Finds, RADAR, and GLOW have also helped to market and support local, emerging, and underrepresented artists.”

Last year, we announced that we would include four South African podcasts in our Africa Podcast Fund. With this initiative, we’re supporting burgeoning podcasters through financial grants, workshops, and networking opportunities, and amplifying their stories. Our goal is to help platform African creators on a global scale and shift the historically restrictive view of stories about the continent.

Celebrate South Africa’s milestone anniversary with the Top 50 tracks being streamed in the country today.

How the World Is Reimagining Amapiano, South Africa’s Hottest Music Export

May 31, 2022

still of youssoupha in spotify's music that moves documentary

Since 2019, Amapiano has emerged commercially as one of Africa’s hottest exports. It’s the latest South African music genre to see its artists on the global stage, with streams outside of Sub-Saharan Africa growing more than 563% on Spotify in the past two years. And with over 920M global all time streams of Amapiano to date, it is looking likely that streams on the platform will hit 1 billion in July this year. 

Spotify is placing a spotlight on Amapiano with a new documentary detailing how this unique blend of house, jazz, and lounge has reached fans and inspired artists across France, Morocco, Japan, and beyond.

The documentary also serves as the introduction to Spotify: Music That Moves, a new series focusing on locally grown music that crosses borders and shapes cultures in unexpected places. For the inaugural episode, artists inspired by Amapiano inside and outside of South Africa discuss why the genre is resonating globally, how it is being reinterpreted by non–South African creators, and how it brings people together—even if they don’t understand the lyrics. 

The freedom to reinterpret and reinvent

Amapiano is a genre known for its versatility. And in the eyes of South African artist DBN Gogo, having the creative freedom to explore the genre in her own way has helped her as a musician. 

“It’s an interpretation. That’s what the music is about,” DBN Gogo remarked in the documentary. “How do you interpret it? How do you see it? How can you put your own spin on it?” 

Plenty of international artists agree. For example, Japanese dancer FATIMATA highlighted “a sense of closeness” brought about by the genre, and Kinshasa-born French artist Youssoupha described Amapiano in his interview as “the music without forcing . . . a music that flows by itself.” 

amapiano artist youssoupha dancing

Youssoupha

These comments reflect the laid-back style of the music that has connected with international audiences and that Youssoupha himself has infused into his latest album, Neptune Terminus (Origines), in his trademark style of combining passionate music with lyrics that denounce racial and social injustices.

Moroccan producer, audio engineer, and DJ Flomine shared the same sentiment, believing that mixing the sounds of Amapiano with those of his own country has added another dimension to the genre. 

Moroccan musician flomine

Flomine

“When you mix Amapiano with traditional Moroccan music [gnawa], it connects people. And when you introduce live instruments, people just love it, as it’s changing culture,” Flomine said.

Growing the scene via dance

The appeal of Amapiano is rooted in dance and rhythm, and platforms such as TikTok have helped export the movement to millions all over the world—something Amapiano stars such as Kamo Mphela have been quick to pick up on.

“I will always see dance as a global language because everybody can relate to that,” Kamo said. 

south african artist kamo mphela

Kamo Mphela

Dancers such as France’s Andy Dlamini and Egypt’s Yara Saleh have also used social media to add their own touch to Amapiano back home and are reaching a strong female audience along the way.  

“It’s part of my own DNA. I’m very aware of my feminine energy. . . . I’ve just realized that there’s so much power in my movements as a woman,” Andy explained.

While Amapiano has quickly become a cultural force in many parts of the world, it’s still a relatively young genre that is evolving quickly. And like Afrobeat before it, this  movement is set to grow and grow as more cultures and scenes from across the world collaborate together and reinterpret the sound to make it their own. For Japanese DJ crew TYO GQOM, they believe it will only serve to further unite the dance scene.

japanese dj crew tyo gqom

TYO GQOM

“There is an increasing interest in Amapiano among Japanese musicians,” they explained. “They are wondering how they can incorporate the Amapiano sound into their music.”

To discover more artists who are pushing Amapiano on the global stage, check out our playlist Piano to the World. And stay tuned for the next video in the Spotify: Music That Moves series.

 

Amapiano, Kwaito, Gqom, and House/Dance: Four South African Genres That Tell the Story of Freedom

April 26, 2022

speaker blasts music, shown with colors

A country’s history is often told through its arts and culture—and especially its music. The story of South Africa is no different. Twenty-eight years ago, apartheid ended and all South Africans became able to vote in the country’s first nonracial national elections, a day that is now celebrated in the country as Freedom Day. And from that first Freedom Day to this year’s, music has remained an enduring marker of struggle, unity, and perseverance for South Africans. 

The end of apartheid collided head-on with the rise of Kwaito, a genre known for catchy melodic and percussive loop samples, deep bass lines, and distinctive vocals. Its name comes from the Afrikaans word kwaai (meaning “angry”), and it was spearheaded by the likes of Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa, who took inspiration from international house music beats, slowing them down and infusing them with local genres and township slang. By the early 2000s, Kwaito was undeniably entrenched as the sound of South Africa’s streets, with hits like Mandoza’s “Nkalakatha” crossing racial lines. 

According to Spotify data from the last three months, the sounds of Kwaito continue to resound both locally and internationally. Over the past 90 days, the genre was streamed as far and wide as the U.K., the U.S., Germany, and Australia, with music lovers between the ages of 18 and 44 all listening to the genre in equal measure.

Infographic on the genre "Kwaito" shows that the notable countries for listening are Germany and Australia. Top 5 Kwaito songs and artists are mentioned

Just as Kwaito emerged in tandem with the fall of apartheid, a new sound of South Africa’s streets debuted commercially right before the 2020 pandemic: Amapiano. But it’s not only the favorite of South Africans—our data points to music lovers around the world streaming the genre en masse.  

Over the past 90 days, South Africa–based music lovers led Amapiano listens and generated a whopping 149 million streams of tracks in the genre on Spotify. Combined listeners in the U.K., U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and France generated streams reaching 42 million while streams generated in Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya, and Namibia came up to 16 million. In total, the top 10 countries streaming Amapiano over the past three months produced a total of 207 million streams.

Infographic on the genre "Amapiano" shows that the notable countries for listening are Nigeria and Botswana. Top 5 Amapiano songs and artists are mentioned

Unlike the postapartheid genre Kwaito, the content of Amapiano tends to be more aspirational. The top-performing Amapiano song on Spotify in the last 90 days—“Paris” by Afriikan Papi, Q-Mark, and TpZee—is a love song in which the singer of the hook promises to take the love of his life to Paris the day they get married—something likely unattainable for many at the time of apartheid’s fall and Kwaito’s emergence. In the same breath, “Adiwele” by Young Stunna, which features DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small (the top two Amapiano artists over the past 90 days), is an inspirational anthem about breaking through and making it in life.

Genres that emerged in the time between Kwaito and Amapiano, though, such as House/Dance and Gqom have also received recognition to varying degrees inside and outside of South Africa. Gqom is a genre of electronic dance music developed from Kwaito that surfaced in the early 2010s in Durban.

And while the rise of Amapiano might lead one to believe that these genres are out of vogue, Spotify data points to the fact that the impact of these genres still reverberates among the age band of 18–29. Two-thirds of Gqom streams and 64% of House/Dance streams over the past 90 days can be attributed to this age group within South Africa thanks to House/Dance artists like Black Coffee, MasterKG, Sun-El Musician, and Zakes Bantwini.  

Infographic on the genre "Gqom" shows that the notable countries for listening are Canada and Germany. Top 5 GQOM songs and artists are mentioned

Infographic on the genre "House/Dance" shows that the notable countries for listening are Germany and Netherlands. Top 5 House/Dance songs and artists are mentioned

In the 28 years that have gone by since South Africa celebrated its first Freedom Day, much of life in the country has changed, but the stories surrounding South Africans’ lives continue to unfold. And the soundtracks to the nation’s vibrant streets will continue to serve as musical witnesses, both in the country and beyond. 

Celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day with the “Sounds of Freedom” from across these pivotal genres.

 

The State of Dance Music, According to Spotify Editors

July 7, 2021

Spotify’s mint playlist is home to the world’s biggest dance hits, with songs that fall under the genre’s many subcategories, including house, techno, electronica, EDM, U.K. garage, and disco. But even though you’ve likely heard dance songs, this vast genre may still be a bit of an enigma. The best people to dispel some myths and mysteries? Spotify’s global team of dance music editors. 

Our editors make up our Global Curation Groups, or GCG’s. As the name suggests, they sit in offices around the world, and they’re in the know on the content that listeners are streaming the most, the new tracks that are about to break, and the trends that come out of these listening habits. Plus, they’re genre experts—as well as fans themselves—who thrive on deep cultural discussions about the music they curate. 

For the Record spoke to the dance GCG about the trends they’re seeing and some of their predictions for the genre this year.

1. Dance music is global.

Dance has roots everywhere, as well as distinct regional genres. Over the past few years, AmaPiano in South Africa has grown, as has Brazilian bass in South America. Russian rave is also having a moment, with more and more artists finding their way to Spotify. We also recently leased an Italo Disco playlist. “It’s just a time for exploration and expansion for the dance base. We’re all going to dance to it at a festival this or next year.”  

2. We’re going to see a rise in dance music this year.

Our editors predict that as everyone comes out from being holed up during the pandemic, dance music will gain even more momentum across its many diverse genres. There’s already been a rise in exploration and innovation in the space, from house to dance pop to slap house. “As listeners head back to the clubs and producers are able to tour again, expect even more noise.”

3. There’s going to be a resurgence in underground and bedroom production.

Indie production has already been on the rise with producers like U.K. artist Fred again.. His collaboration with The Blessed Madonna, single “Marea (We Lost Dancing),” held at the Top 100 for a handful of weeks. This strengthening voice of the underground is reminiscent of the 2014–2016 dance heyday, where EDM producers broke from the internet to conquer the pop charts. Not only is this a testament to the dance renaissance taking place today, but it also  signals how mainstream listeners’ palettes are evolving and adapting to more mature sonics. “We’re seeing a renaissance in the attention that’s paid to the genre, and it’s changing the sound a little.”

4. EDM isn’t dead.

EDM isn’t dead, but it has moved into a dance category that can best be described as “nostalgic.” And this nostalgic audience is fiercely loyal, with a continuing appetite. The dance editorial team built a playlist called Headliners, full of the EDM heyday artists—Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Alesso—after seeing a resurgence in plays among those legacy producers. “We created a genre flagship called EDM, and within a week of launch, it was hovering at 8,000 listeners and the skip rate was ridiculously low. It just shows that the pulse is there, and the audience is there.” 

5. Virality is playing a big part in the future of the genre.

It took the classic dance genre dubstep 10 years to travel to the U.S. after its inception in the U.K. Now, trends come and go a lot more quickly, thanks to the power of the internet and to streaming. The sea shanty trend was big for dance artists, and when the Australian dance group Shouse’s “Love Tonight” got picked up by David Guetta, it went viral for a whole new generation of listeners.  

6. Covers have always been big in dance music. Now, they’re helping to break newer genres.

Tropical house covers were a breakthrough point in German dance pop history in the 2010s. Now, covers are happening again, this time with slap house—whether they’re of a Whitney Houston classic, a ’90s eurodance track, or a song that’s just three years old. These covers, which are in the style of the breakout genre, are now helping that genre gain footing in the mainstream, just as classic house sampling disco did. 

7. Pop is adopting dance—and fans can too.

Dance is getting a new group of followers: pop fans. What our editors call “dance pop” is presenting itself in the work of pop stars like Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, Lady Gaga, and Raye. “Pop is co-opting dance, just like we saw it do last year with disco. Pop artists don’t realize how much of the dance genre it’s taking for itself, but that’s the hit element of pop—the dance strokes are the uplifting aspect.”

If you’re a pop fan who’s interested in diving into dance, the team recommends a new playlist called crying on the dance floor. “We’re experimenting a little bit with crafting spaces that are more approachable. They’re not as genre focused as melodic house or acid techno, which can be pretty daunting for someone who has no idea what they’re looking for. We’re seeing a lot of crossover between indie and dance, and a lot of crossover between pop and dance. I think that a lot of users don’t realize that they’re listening to dance music.”

Get to know dance and start crying on the dance floor.

From Afropop to Amapiano, Uncover African Music’s Rise in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’

April 8, 2021

Africa is one of the fastest-growing music markets in the world, which comes as no surprise when you consider the region’s wealth of new genres and sounds. Earlier this year, we announced the expansion of Spotify into more than 80 new international markets, including 39 markets across sub-Saharan Africa. 

So in the latest episode of our podcast Spotify: For the Record, we focus our sights on the immense talent from the region. From Pretoria to Nairobi, we explore the distinctive beats that are coming out of these cities and taking the world by storm. Here’s what you can expect in this week’s episode:

  • Burna Boy, who recently won a Grammy award for Best Global Music Album for Twice As Tall, talks about the talent coming out of Africa.
  • Afrobeat superstar DaVido joins the podcast to discuss the diverse musical styles of Nigeria, and what it’s like to collaborate with top U.S. artists like Nicki Manaj.
  • Spotify RADAR artist Focalistic dives into the infectious sound of Amapiano, the uniquely South African take on house music.
  • Kenyan phenomenon Blinky Bill highlights the eclectic musical spirit of Nairobi.
  • Singer-songwriter and Spotify RADAR artist Tems gives us a taste of “alté” (a term for alternative Nigeria beats) with her soulful and spiritual rhythms.

Throughout the episode, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, shares insight regarding the rhythms of the region. She also walks us through some of the data we’ve seen since expanding to more countries across the continent. On the podcast, hear which artists are taking the top spots in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.

Listen to “Afropop to Amapiano: African Music Ignites.”

Spotify Listeners are Discovering Music from Around the World

December 18, 2019

Every day, Spotify users discover a song, artist, or genre from outside their home countries.  Whether that’s through their Discover Weekly, a friend’s recommendation, or another Spotify-curated playlist, folks are stepping outside of their comfort zones to get to know artists from a different place. These songs and artists can take listeners to another world—metaphorically. Music is a great connector that allows us to understand and experience a life or culture beyond our own.

We’ve found that over 60% of Spotify users discovered an artist from a country outside their own within the last 28 days. So just imagine what they’ve uncovered over the course of a few months, or even the year. That’s a world of travel and learning—sans passport. 

On For the Record this year, we’ve also explored artists and genres from around the world, taking note of the songs and styles that have crossed borders. Hear from some of the artists, musicians, and experts we spoke to below.

The Viral Mexican Artist Making Music Worth Crying Over

Ed Maverick, who comes from the northern state of Chihuahua, Mexico, didn’t grow up in a musical family but learned to play guitar by watching videos and playing in norteño groups—(norteño is a genre of music popular in the region he comes from)—throughout middle school. His style evolved through playing covers of songs by his favorite bands, such as those by Mexican indie rockers Little Jesus. But neither style of music suited what he wanted to do, so he decided to strike out on his own; he eventually started composing his own songs. “I felt the need to release what was going on in my mind,” he said.

Indigenous Australian Rapper Briggs Shares Message of Triumph through Music

“Shepparton has the largest indigenous population in Victoria outside of Melbourne. It also has the largest indigenous population in Victoria per capita. So there was always a presence, and it was always just a part of us and what we did and still do. We just operated as artists and rappers. You don’t really realize how different you are until it’s presented to you.” – Briggs

Santiago, Chile: Spotify’s Streaming Capital of Reggaetón

“What we are seeing with reggaetón in Chile is a great testimony to the absolute powerhouse that is Latin America when it comes to building and delivering audiences for Latin artists,” said Mia Nygren, Managing Director for Spotify in Latin America.

Meet Rich Brian, the Indonesian Rapper Performing at Spotify On Stage Jakarta

“A lot of things influence my sound, from listening to traditional Indonesian music to the stuff I listened to while spending full days on the internet making videos. Living internationally definitely influenced my attitude towards everything positively. I’m very grateful for everything that I have now, and things just never get old for me—each new experience feels like a blessing.” – Rich Brian

Charting the Meteoric Rise of South Africa’s AmaPiano

“I was fortunate to see the impact of kwaito music and what it meant for the then-young democracy that South Africa was. It became the voice of local youth to push for systematic change and fight the exclusion of the marginalized. I can’t help but think that AmaPiano is doing just that so far for this generation of young South Africans, and I can’t wait to see how many more boundaries it’ll break.” – Da Kruk

How Americana Troubadour Garrett T. Capps Went Worldwide

The European market has been turned on to Capps’s quirky brand of country too. “According to my statistics on Spotify, it seems like a lot of people in the Netherlands and Spain are discovering my music through the program,” he says. “And I’m excited to keep writing and finding ways to reach audiences.” – Garrett T. Capps

Lukas Graham Becomes First Danish Artist to Hit 1 Billion Streams for a Single Song

“I’m not sure if it’s too much to call ourselves the Arctic Monkeys of Spotify. I feel like our international breakthrough came about because of Spotify—the way streams in the Nordics and Germany pushed an unknown act into the global top 50 with a song that wasn’t available outside of the Nordics and GSA. It was a trippy ride, and luckily we’ve landed on the other side without losing our minds.” – Lukas Graham

Meet Tones and I, the Australian Ex-Busker Who Achieved a Global Hit Thanks to Streaming

In the span of just a year, Toni Watson has leapfrogged from working retail to busking full time to topping the charts in almost a dozen countries—including her native Australia. That’s all thanks to “Dance Monkey,” the viral smash that was the second-ever single for the artist best known as Tones And I.

Colter Wall Honors His Western Roots on Songs of the Plains

Nobody ever needed to explain western wear to Wall, who was raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. “It’s predominantly cattle country,” he shares. “My last full-time gig I had before I started playing music for a living was working cows with my cousin on a thousand-head cattle ranch.”

How Spotify Helped Cigarettes After Sex Amass an International Audience

Since the release of Cry, Cigarettes After Sex’s momentum has continued to snowball; the band is now closing in on 4.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. They’re also continuing to find success in new territories. Within a month of Spotify’s February 2019 launch in India, the country leapt into Cigarettes After Sex’s top ten markets. This popularity translated offline: In May, when the band announced two late-July Mumbai shows via a local promoter’s mailing list, they drew 30,000 sign-ups within just a few hours, causing the list to shut down.

Take a listen to Spotify’s Global Top 50 for the songs rocking the international charts.

 

Charting the Meteoric Rise of South Africa’s AmaPiano

October 2, 2019

During the early days of its popularity in 2016, AmaPiano, the uniquely South African take on house music, circulated via low-quality file shares on messaging apps and online forums. Developed by bedroom producers with limited resources, the music spread from phone to phone faster than anyone expected; by early 2019, you couldn’t walk through the streets of South Africa without hearing AmaPiano’s sunny melodies seeping into the air from car windows and phone speakers

“If you put one hundred guys in a room and you asked them where [AmaPiano] started, you’ll get one hundred answers and some very heated debates,” said Siphiwe Ngwenya, cofounder of Born in Soweto, a homegrown label that’s backed AmaPiano since its early days. 

Indeed, tracing the AmaPiano sound back to a single artist (or 10 for that matter) is almost impossible. The list of producers attached to AmaPiano reads like a small town’s phone directory, a byproduct of a movement that developed in the annals of the internet. Still, in the three years the genre’s been around, artists like Kabza de Small and Mfr Souls have emerged as key players, inspiring a new crop of DIY beatmakers and DJs. 

The genre’s popularity with bedroom producers may also have something to do with its well-established sonic lineage. AmaPiano’s sound is somewhat, though not entirely, influenced by kwaito—a midtempo, lyrically rich brew of R&B, hip-hop, and house that emerged from Gaunteng in the ’90s. Both genres combine the drum patterns and basslines of their 4/4 cousins, but AmaPiano carries a cheery brightness—characterized by jazz-inflected keys, eager vocal cuts, and organ licks constructed over a laid-back 115 bpm framework—that kwaito lacks. 

South African DJ and radio host DJ Da Kruk attributes the success of AmaPiano to a wider DJ culture. “The AmaPiano movement has a huge mixtape culture attached to it, which I think was a vehicle to move new music from one ear to the next while promoting your DJ skills and mixing capabilities.” Da Kruk has been on the scene for years and hosts his own radio show dedicated to AmaPiano. He’s watched it balloon into a movement, as has Miz Dee—a DJ and one of the leading female figures in South Africa’s dance community. Throughout her career, she’s witnessed the trends in dance music change from the early days of Afro house to the more recent techno-leaning gqom. 

“AmaPiano is now by far the most talked about and the most relevant house music genre in South Africa,” Miz Dee told For the Record. “It’s a culture of its own.” And the genre isn’t contained within the borders of one country anymore. Its influence is spreading like ink in water to Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. 

Now, it doesn’t matter what city you’re in or club you’re going to. Everyone seemingly responds to AmaPiano’s shimmering sound, and Da Kruk believes in its inclusivity. “I was fortunate to see the impact of kwaito music and what it meant for the then-young democracy that South Africa was. It became the voice of local youth to push for systematic change and fight the exclusion of the marginalized. I can’t help but think that AmaPiano is doing just that so far for this generation of young South Africans, and I can’t wait to see how many more boundaries it’ll break.”

Maybe it was the unique yet accessible sound of AmaPiano that drew throngs to its beats, or the influence of social media. Maybe it was the sheer output of new songs—a veritable deluge—that never allowed attention to falter. Whatever the reason, AmaPiano isn’t going anywhere. It has transformed into a culture with its own festivals, club nights, and (specifically in Mznasi) its own form of dance.

Check out AmaPiano Grooves—Spotify’s recently launched playlist—for a celebratory crash course in South Africa’s homegrown brand of house.