The most important aphorism that applies to the music industry is perhaps the saying “numbers don’t lie.”
And, that’s because they don’t. You can get all sentimental about an artist that you like and say they’re the best on the planet and whatever, but the truth is, facts don’t care about your feelings.
The most concrete of facts available in music right now is streaming numbers. Because it doesn’t only tell us how much people feel about a particular artist, but it also reflects just how much the artist might be taking home at the end of the day.
One of the top streaming platforms in the world is definitely Spotify. For most Nigerian artists, getting the Spotify numbers is very important because it means they’re getting attention outside of the country.
So far, there are only four artists who have a cumulative of 1B or more streams on the streaming platform. Prepare to have your mind blown!
- Wizkid
Of course, Wizkid is at number one. Wizkid owes almost half of his streaming numbers to his high-profile collaborations with key artists like Drake and Beyonce, of course.
With over 4B streams to his name currently, Wizkid is miles ahead of his peers and it doesn’t look like anyone’s gonna catch up with him soon. “Made in Lagos” is still growing too.
- Burna Boy
Not surprising at all that Odogwu is on the list. He is simply one of the most sought-after African artists and that’s gotta count for something.
He has a total of 1.4B+ streams on Spotify and that’s all thanks to his last three albums, “Outside,” “African Giant,” and “Twice As Tall” all released within the past four years.
- Mr. Eazi
This is the one most people wouldn’t be expecting. Mr. Eazi is the third most-streamed Nigerian artist on Spotify and that’s because although most people don’t pay attention to him at home, the guy’s been making money moves outside the country.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we woke up one day and Mr. Eazi already has a Grammy award. You just never see him coming. He currently has over 1.3B streams on Spotify!
- CKay
Okay, this one is crazy. It’s even crazier to think that if you remove just one song from his catalog, the number goes down to, maybe, 200 million.
CKay has really milked “Love Nwantiti” the best it can and that’s why he has 1B+ streams on just one streaming platform.
Just for perspective, CKay has more streams on Spotify than Davido, Olamide, Fireboy, Kizz Daniel, and any other artist you can think of that’s not on this list. Wow!
Anyway, quick question
Which Artist Do You Think Deserves To Be On This List But Isn’t?
Let’s hear from you.
Drop a comment below.
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