Tag: folk music

How South Africa’s Gen Zs Are Reshaping Maskandi Culture for a New Era

June 17, 2025

In South Africa, the rebirth and resurgence of the vibrant folk genre Maskandi has captured the attention of music fans, becoming the country’s fastest-growing sound on Spotify over the past two years.

Steeped in Zulu storytelling traditions, Maskandi has spanned generations and has typically resonated mostin rural parts of the country, including the KwaZulu-Natal province it originated from. But as artists fuse Maskandi’s sound with Amapiano, gospel, and hip-hop, urban Gen Zs are embracing the genre as a way to reclaim their heritage and express their cultural fluency. The result? A full-blown Maskandi renaissance, fueled by pride, experimentation, and authentic storytelling.

A genre reinvented for a new era

On Spotify, nearly half of Maskandi’s listeners are under 35, and many are gravitating to our Bhinca Nation playlist, which is the destination for the genre’s hottest hits. Averaging more than 2 million plays each month, the playlist has grown by more than 3,000% since 2022.

This growing spotlight has also translated into dramatic rises in streams for many of Maskandi’s biggest names:

  • Umafikizolo, Mshinwemali, and Sminofu have all seen their fusion-forward sounds resonate across demographics. Since 2023, their streams are up 897%, 495%, and 258%, respectively.
  • Genre torchbearers Inkos’yamagcokama and Mzukulu continue to lead with consistency, with their streams growing 86% and 79%, respectively.
  • Meanwhile, LIMIT NALA and MENZI MUSIC are quickly turning heads and generating buzz as newcomers to the scene.

These aren’t just stats—they’re signals. Listeners are hungry for music that’s both culturally grounded and globally fluent. More than just a streaming destination, Spotify is soundtracking a movement and reshaping what it means to be proudly Zulu in a hyperconnected world.

Capturing a generational shift

As Maskandi’s revival grows larger, we want to uplift artists and help them build deeper connections with loyal fans, while introducing them to new listeners around the world. That’s why we’ve kept an ear to the ground, and working with the Consumer Insights Agency, we recently commissioned an in-depth report uncovering the trends driving this movement.

Read on for the six key trends shaping the future of Maskandi, revealing how this age-old art form is being reinvented for a new generation.

Our New Playlist juniper Cultivates a Space for the Next Generation of Folk Music

October 18, 2023

In every generation, folk music captures the hearts, minds, and souls of its listeners. From Bob Dylan and The Mamas & the Papas to Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, and Tracy Chapman, the genre has maintained a strong and comforting presence throughout the ages, one that introduced a capacity for experimentation and innovation. The early 2000s showcased the works of Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes, Sharon Van Etten, and Bon Iver. The 2010s saw the rise of The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons. Now listeners have Noah Kahan, Lizzy McAlpine, Joy Oladokun, and Searows. 

juniper is Spotify’s new home for budding and popular folk and acoustic songs from the latest crop of contemporary artists making the genre their own. It’s a space for handcrafted tracks that rise to the top through both organic cultural conversations and our Fresh Finds ecosystem. 

“While folk music has always maintained its presence, there is a fresh wave of relevance sweeping through Gen Z right now that is hard to ignore,” says Carla Turi, Editor, Folk & Acoustic Programming. “At the heart, folk is rooted in raw authenticity and storytelling, which feels vital in a post-pandemic digital age. It’s always been music for the people, by the people. There is such a timeless nature to the space and its ability to provide a sense of peace to listeners when they need it most. Whether it’s ‘Suzanne’ by Leonard Cohen or ‘Growing Sideways’ by Noah Kahan, listeners are finding their own story within these songs.”

Named for a young green juniper tree, the playlist’s title evokes the cycle of life and the natural environment. Folk’s inherent connection to nature and tradition paired with the genre’s DIY ethos serves as a place for amplification and representation of this budding community.

“This current era of folk music is swiftly growing, thanks to the likes of Noah Kahan breaking boundaries and opening up the funnel for new Gen Z folk artists,” says Jackie Augustus, Lead, Country & Folk, Artist Partnerships. “We’ve seen folk continue to evolve as more and more artists are utilizing elements of the folk sound through fusion with other genres. Artists right now are perpetuating a tradition that’s been alive for centuries, and now they’re driving the narrative with their own experiences that center around personal struggles and navigating the world around them. We are seeing Gen Z react in a big way to relatability and honest songwriting, which is a huge driver for why listeners resonate so hard with Mitski, Lizzy McAlpine, Chance Peña, and other artists included in the juniper playlist.”

To launch the playlist, we hosted a dinner bringing together the emerging Gen Z folk music community that’s leading the resurgence of folk music. Artists Sierra Ferrell, Briston Maroney, John Vincent III, Izzy Heltai, and Odie Leigh joined in for a family-style dinner and a fire pit under the stars.