Davido
David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido’s influence in 2025 was unmistakable. His fifth studio album, ‘5ive’, became one of the most streamed Nigerian projects of the year, with over 320 million streams on Spotify alone, overtaking major contemporaries and confirming his enduring commercial clout. The project debuted with a record-breaking opening day, having about 15 million global Spotify streams within 24 hours of its release.
One of the songs on the album, ‘With You’ (featuring Omah Lay) was crowned Nigeria’s most-streamed song of 2025 on Spotify, permeating playlists, social media challenges, and radio rotation nationwide. Indeed, 2025 reaffirmed his role as one of Afrobeats’ most culturally resonant figures and a crowd-pulling live performer.
Asake
Asake’s impact in 2025 was both deep and sustained. He placed consistently among the most streamed artistes on Nigerian Spotify and secured multiple albums inside the platform’s Top 10; an uncommon feat for any artiste.
His fusion of afrobeats with amapiano and street sensibilities kept his catalog in heavy rotation all year, and his live shows and festival appearances further reflected his status as one of the most compelling performers of the decade.
His performance at the Red Bull Symphonic in New York, United States, was also historic as he was the first African to grace that stage. Accompanied by a 33-man orchestra, he performed songs such as ‘Peace Be Unto You’, ‘Sungba’ and ‘Lonely at the Top’.
Wizkid
Popular singer, Ayodeji Balogun, aka Wizkid, reclaimed the top spot as Nigeria’s most-streamed artiste on Spotify in 2025, topping the platform’s Spotify Wrapped list for the country. His album ‘Morayo’ was named the most-streamed album of the year in Nigeria, reinforcing his legacy as a chart-topping force.
Wizkid’s dominance extended beyond local borders. His album was also cited as among the most-streamed in Sub-Saharan Africa on Apple Music’s year-end chart. This achievement was underpinned by his consistent output, rich collaborations, and strategic positioning, showing how his music continues to resonate across generations. This year, he collaborated with artistes such as Olamide, DJ Maphorisa, Tyla, Ayra Starr and Young John.
Burna Boy
Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, continued to cement his heavyweight status in 2025. His album ‘No Sign of Weakness’ surpassed 250 million streams on Spotify, making it one of the year’s top-performing Nigerian releases.
Fola
Folarin Odunlami, aka Fola, was one of the breakout stars of 2025, injecting fresh energy into the industry. His album ‘Catharsis’ performed impressively enough to land inside Spotify’s top Nigerian album charts, amassing tens of millions of streams and signaling a rising trajectory.
Singles like ‘Lost’ (featuring Kizz Daniel) also became streaming staples, firmly placing the singer on both local and global radars; a rare achievement for emerging voices in a year dominated by established names.
Rema
Divine Ikubor, aka Rema, began 2025 with strong momentum, dominating global consumption metrics early in the year. According to streaming data, he was the most streamed Nigerian artiste globally on YouTube Music in the first quarter of this year, with over 220 million streams, led by enduring hits such as ‘Calm Down’ and new releases like ‘Baby (Is It a Crime)’.
Throughout the year, his blend of afrobeats and global pop sensibilities kept him visible on international charts and playlists, reinforcing the crossover appeal that has defined his career since breakout days.
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