Sauti Sol remains Spotify’s most streamed artist in Kenya

Popular Kenyan afro-pop music group Sauti Sol, Sol Generation’s Nviiri The Storyteller and Kenyan bongo star Otile Brown are the most streamed artists on Spotify in Kenya.

Nyashinski and Bensoul from Sol Records are the other most streamed local musicians in the top five list released by Spotify.

Spotify, a Swedish audio streaming platform, which marked one year since it was launched in the country on Thursday said there has been a 25 percent increase in the number of local content.

Since coming into the market last year, Kenyan artists have added over 8,730 songs on the platform that boasts over 180 million premium subscribers across 178 countries.

“Niko Sawa by Nviiri The Storyteller and Bien is the most streamed Kenyan song. Nikita Kering’s Ex is second, a huge feat for the 19-year-old star who is also the only woman in the top ten,” said Spotify in a statement on Thursday.

Most users on the platform came from major cities and urban areas with Nairobi and Mombasa topping the list. Nakuru, Kisumu, and Eldoret were the other areas on the list.

Kenyan music from top artists also received an audience in other countries, with little-known musicians topping big local names.

“Eight out of the ten songs exported are all collaborations, probably due to the combination of two different fan bases,” said Spotify.

Nyatiti singer Job Seda, better known as Ayub Ogada, who died in 2019 is the only artist who made it to the top of exported music whose composition is not a collaboration.

“The countries where the top five exported songs were most streamed are US, UK, Canada in that order, with the exception of Ayub Ogada’s Kothbiro where it was most streamed in US, Germany then Netherlands,” Spotify noted.

Interestingly, the emerging gengetone which has been termed as mostly lewd by some music critics is gaining popularity including outside the country. 

According to Spotify, the genre has grown by 21 percent on the platform in the last one year, and 15 percent of the streams originated from the US. 

Below is the full breakdown of how Kenyans, and the world, have listened to Kenyan music for the past year:

Most streamed Kenyan artists

1. Sauti Sol
2. Nviiri The Storyteller
3. Otile Brown
4. Nyashinski
5. Bensoul
6. Wakadinali
7. BURUKLYN BOYZ
8. H_art the Band
9. Mejja
10. Khaligraph Jones

Most streamed Kenyan songs

1. Nviiri The Storyteller, Bien – Niko Sawa
2. Nikita Kering’ – Ex
3. Bensoul, Mejja, Nviiri The Storyteller, Sauti Sol – Nairobi
4. H_art the Band, Brizy Annechild – My Jaber (Friday)
5. Otile Brown, Meddy – Dusuma
6. Nviiri The Storyteller – Kitenge
7. Chris Kaiga, Mutoriah – I Want 
8. Chris Kaiga, Nyashinski  – Hapo Tu
9. NDOVU KUU, Khaligraph Jones, Boutross Munene – NDOVU NI KUU
10. Mbuzi Gang, Mejja – Shamra Shamra

Top exported Kenya artists

1. Sauti Sol
2. Jeff Kaale
3. Otile Brown
4. Ayub Ogada
5. Nviiri The Storyteller
6. Willy Paul
7. Bensoul
8. Stella Mwangi
9. Nyashinski
10. Karun

Top exported Kenyan songs

1. Bahati, Benzema, Mejja, Odi Wa Muranga, Petra Ssaru – Wanani – Remix
2. Bensoul, Mejja, Nviiri The Storyteller, Sauti Sol – Nairobi
3. Sauti Sol, Patoranking – Melanin
4. Ayub Ogada – Kothbiro
5. Sauti Sol, Bensoul, Crystal Asige, Kaskazini, Nviiri The Storyteller – Extravaganza
6. Sauti Sol, Nyashinski – Short N Sweet
7. Willy Paul, Alaine – I Do
8. Otile Brown, Meddy – Dusuma
9. Sauti Sol – Suzanna
10. Sauti Sol, RedFourth Chorus – Kuliko Jana

Emerging / breakout artists

1. Wanavokali
2. Taylor Torch
3. Bon’eye
4. Groovy Jo
5. Nikita Kering’

Top Spotify playlists

1. Hot Hits Kenya
2. Today’s Top Hits
3. African Heat
4. Made In Kenya
5. RapCaviar
6. Soft Pop Hits
7. Mood Booster
8. Mega Hit Mix
9. Afropop
10. Gengetone Fire