Afrobeats is pulsing through Kenya’s airwaves, and the rhythm shows no signs of slowing. With over 12.6 million hours of Afrobeats streamed by Kenyans in the last year alone, the genre is firmly embedding itself into the country’s sonic identity, particularly among the youth.
Spotify reports that listeners aged 18–29 make up the bulk of the Afrobeats fan base in Kenya.
But it’s not just about passive listening. Kenyan fans are actively discovering new Afrobeats tracks, with more than 1.8 million discoveries logged on Spotify in the past 12 months.
This shows a growing appetite for the genre not only from international artists but also through local talent.
Homegrown stars like Bien and Bensoul are leaning into the Afrobeats wave, blending it into their own styles with tracks like Extra Pressure, Nairobi, and Ma Cherie.
These collaborations and cross-cultural blends are deepening Kenya’s connection to the broader Afrobeats movement.
And when it comes to favorites, Kenyan listeners are vibing hardest with Davido, Ayra Starr, Asake, Burna Boy, and Rema some of the genre’s biggest names on the global stage.
Afrobeats is not just a genre it’s a global movement. And now, Spotify is capturing that explosive cultural wave in its new multi-platform project, Afrobeats: Culture in Motion, launched today, September 22, 2025.
The project celebrates five transformative years of Afrobeats, showcasing how the genre has evolved sonically, visually, and culturally since 2020.
With over 240 million global discoveries in the past year alone, Afrobeats has firmly established itself as a global sound and Spotify is putting the spotlight on the artists and fans shaping its future
At the heart of the campaign is Culture in Motion, a brand-new Spotify documentary that follows the genre’s next wave of stars and the creative energy fueling them.
Complementing the film is an immersive microsite on Spotify’s For the Record newsroom. This site breaks the genre’s growth into five dynamic pillars:
Afrobeats is getting more introspective. According to Spotify, emotionally charged vocals now account for 38% of Afrobeats streams globally, a major shift from the high-energy bangers of the past.
Afrobeats is spreading like wildfire across Latin America, with listenership in the region growing over 180% year-over-year. Brazil has seen a 500% spike since 2020, highlighting a powerful Afro-Latin music connection.
Women are owning the Afrobeats stage. Tems made history as the first African female artist to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams for a single track, while Ayra Starr’s streams in Nigeria have skyrocketed by over 3,000% since 2020.
by queen serem
