Spotify has introduced a dedicated website called “Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams” to provide music lovers with an immersive exploration of the genre.
The site aims to track all aspects related to Afrobeats, from its origins in Ghana to its popularization in Nigeria, its fusion with other genres, and its status as one of Africa’s major cultural exports.
Afrobeats has emerged as one of Africa’s most prominent musical exports, captivating the world with its infectious rhythms. On Spotify, the genre has experienced exponential growth, with a 550% increase since 2017.
In 2022 alone, Afrobeats garnered over 13 billion streams, while its leading artists achieved remarkable milestones on the global music stage, including live events, awards, and streaming records.
The website will serve as a repository for this cultural phenomenon, housing various content such as text, infographics, visual elements, Spotify streaming data, and insights from the April 2023 Afrobeats survey commissioned by Spotify. The survey, conducted by research firm Kuvora, traces the rise of Afrobeats and its cultural impact over several decades.
Over the next eight weeks, the site will be regularly updated with new content, and it will remain an active resource beyond that timeframe. It will provide frequent updates on the latest Afrobeats moments and offer an interactive experience for fans to discover and delve deeper into the genre.
Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized the enduring presence of Afrobeats as a genre, projecting its continued growth and influence.
With over 223 million hours of streaming and more than 7.1 billion streams on Spotify this year alone, Afrobeats has firmly established itself as a global sensation.
The website aims to cater to both existing and new fans of the genre, offering a comprehensive understanding of its explosive sound and its roots.
“Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams” will be organized into five key pillars. The first pillar, Origins, will explore precursor genres like Afrobeat, Highlife, and Juju, which paved the way for the Afrobeats we know today. The second pillar, Evolution, will highlight the industry players who have contributed to the current Afrobeats sound that has captivated the world.
The third pillar will focus on the fusion of Afrobeats with genres like Reggaeton and Amapiano, showcasing their impact on the success of Afrobeats. The fourth pillar will delve into Afrobeats’ cultural exportation, examining its influence on music, food, language, and fashion beyond Africa.
Lastly, the fifth pillar will shine a spotlight on the Women of Afrobeats, celebrating the key female figures whose contributions propelled the genre to its global stature.
Additionally, the website will feature significant Afrobeats timelines, intriguing Spotify data, excerpts from interviews with industry experts, and street interviews from key markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The first installment of the Afrobeats journey, “Origins,” is now live at afrobeats.byspotify.com.
