Following Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations, the list comes with a few surprises as it features the same familiar names leading the global exportation of Nigerian music. Spotify shared the most-streamed Afrobeats songs of 2025 so far. The songs on the list will particularly raise concerns about what informs the categorisation of a song as Afrobeats.

Burna Boy might have vehemently refused to be described as an Afrobeats artist, but he has enough numbers to top the list of the most-streamed Afrobeats stars of 2025 globally. Unsurprisingly, Rema is second on the list after enjoying a busy year with the release of multiple singles, even as his global smash hit Calm Down continues to enjoy international success. So far, 2025 has been a Wizkid year. The Afrobeats icon has been on a collaborative run with a series of chart singles that have combined to make him the third most-streamed Afrobeats star of 2025 globally.

Asake makes an expected appearance as the fourth most-streamed Afrobeats artist globally in 2025. His run of three single releases, collaborations with Young Jonn and Olamide, and his catalogue were sufficient to earn him a place on the list. Grammy-nominated star Ayra Starr is the only female star on the list as she rounds off the top five most-streamed Afrobeats artists of 2025 globally. Her hit single Hot Body has been one of Afrobeats’ biggest exports of the year.