Tag: Sarz

Spotify Is Putting the Spotlight on Afrobeats to Chart Its Global Rise

With more than 15 billion streams (and counting), there’s no doubt that Afrobeats as a genre is making an impact across the globe. Artists like Shallipopi, Sarz, Ruger, and Bloody Civilian are taking their music beyond the sound’s birthplace in West Africa and bringing a truly global collaboration in sound. 

Back in June we announced the launch of the Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams site to celebrate the history, growth, and milestones of the genre. Our support continued in the following months and culminated in an Afrobeats Celebration event in Lagos last weekend. Now, as Rema‘s “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez joins the Spotify billions club as the first African artist–led track to hit a billion streams, we’re ready to bring even more Afrobeats content to fans. Kicking things off, we’ve launched the Afrobeats hub. From genre fusions and old-school classics to new alternative hits and Afro mood playlists, the hub is a one-stop shop that brings together all flavors of Afrobeats.

We’re also delivering new articles, videos, and more to the Afrobeats site, documenting history, culture, fashion, and upcoming trends. Podcasters Jola Ayeye and Feyikemi Abudu from the African millennial show I Said What I Said and Joey Akan from the in-depth audio exploration that is Afrobeats Intelligence will also lend their unique perspectives and voices along for the ride, starting with a video of their respective live shows from the Afrobeats Celebration.