Wakadinali and Sauti Sol
Image: COURTESY

Spotify has launched Wrapped 2023, its annual review of how people listened to artists, albums, tracks, playlists and even podcasts.

For Kenyans, there’s been the viral hits, Kenya’s foremost boy band taking a hiatus, Gengetone being recognised as a genre for Grammy consideration and Spotify partnering with COLORSxSTUDIOS to showcase Kenyan R&B to a global audience.

All this to say, it’s been an interesting year musically, and Spotify Wrapped is right there, with the receipts.

“The Kenyan music scene has grown exponentially since our last Wrapped, and it is refreshing to see a Kenyan artist in the top streamed list. Our mission to amplify homegrown artists to global stages continues steadfastly,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify SSA’s Head of Music.

Saturday leads as the top streaming day, and 4pm as the top streaming hour.

The top streamed tracks list on the other hand, is dominated by Afrobeats, with the only exception being Darassa and Bien’s collaboration No Body in sixth place

Wakadinali emerged as the only Kenyan artist in the top streamed list, landing at number 8. The group is also the most searched artist in Kenya on Spotify, and their album Ndani ya Cockpit 3 ranks 10 as the most streamed album.

Nyashinski’s Perfect Design had the music lovers in a hold when it launched, it was the top song every day 26 October (a day after it was released) to 2 November.

The top streamed tracks list is dominated by Afrobeats, with the only exception being Darassa and Bien’s collaboration No Body in sixth place.

Kinoti’s Nitangoja was named the second most viral track on Spotify in Kenya, meaning users shared it widely so their friends and family could also enjoy the R&B goodness. Sasa Hivi by V-Be and Ashley Music struck a relatable chord with Kenyan R&B lovers, making it the 10th most viral song.

Karun and Nikita Kering’, Xenia Manasseh, made it to the top ten most exported Kenyan artists.

Nikita Kering’ is the only female artist in the top ten most streamed Kenyan artists.

Kenyan Boy Band Sauti
Image: HOLYZINER/SAUTI SOL INSTAGRAM

Top streamed Kenyan artists

  1. Wakadinali
  2. Sauti Sol
  3. Bien
  4. Bensoul
  5. Nyashinski
  6. Nviiri The Storyteller
  7. BURUKLYN BOYZ
  8. Otile Brown
  9. Nikita Kering’
  10. Lil Maina

Top Streamed Artists

  1. Drake
  2. Burna Boy
  3. 21 Savage
  4. Ayra Starr
  5. Chris Brown
  6. Travis Scott
  7. Wakadinali
  8. The Weeknd
  9. Metro Boomin
  10. Future

Top Streamed Tracks

  1. Ayra Starr - Rush
  2. Ruger - Asiwaju
  3. Bayanni - Ta Ta Ta
  4. Fireboy DML - Bandana ft. Asake
  5. Kizz Daniel - Cough (Odo)
  6. Darassa - No Body (feat. Bien)
  7. Libianca - People
  8. Omah Lay - soso
  9. Burna Boy - Last Last
  10. Rema - Charm

Top Streamed Albums

  1. Burna Boy - Love, Damini
  2. SZA - SOS
  3. Omah Lay - Boy Alone
  4. Rema - Rave & Roses Ultra
  5. Metro Boomin - HEROES & VILLAINS
  6. Fireboy DML - Playboy
  7. Ayra Starr - 19 & Dangerous 
  8. Asake - Mr. Money With The Vibe
  9. Davido - Timeless
  10. Wakadinali - Ndani ya Cockpit 3

Top streamed Kenyan tracks

  1. Sauti Sol - Lil Mama
  2. Bien - Inauma
  3. Bien, DJ Edu - Too Easy
  4. Nikita Kering’ - Last Name
  5. Fully Focus, Bien - Dimension
  6. Bien - My Baby (feat. Ayra Starr) 
  7. Wakadinali - Mc Mca
  8. Boutross - Angela
  9. Wakadinali - Sikutambui
  10. Bensoul - Navutishwa feat. Bien

Top streamed podcasts

  1. So This Is Love
  2.  The Messy In Between
  3.  It’s Related, I Promise
  4. ShxtsNGigs
  5. The Psychology of your 20s
  6. The Sandwich Podcast
  7. Legally Clueless
  8. The97sPodcast
  9. On Purpose with Jay Shetty
  10. The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett 

Top exported Kenyan artists

  1. Idd Aziz
  2. Sauti Sol
  3. Bien
  4. Otile Brown
  5. Karun
  6. Jeff Kaale
  7. Lexsil
  8. Nikita Kering’
  9. Ayub Ogada
  10. Xenia Manasseh

Read Also: