NJERAE, TOXIC LYRIKALI & WATENDAWILI AMONG KENYA’S MOST-STREAMED ARTISTES

Kenya’s music landscape is experiencing a shift, as a fresh wave of homegrown talent achieves major streaming milestones. For years, established acts like Bien, Sauti Sol, andWakadinali have represented Kenyan music on Spotify’s Top 10 most-streamed local artists charts. 

This year, they are joined by breakthrough artists Njerae, Toxic Lyrikali and Watendawili, who have all entered the national Top 10 for the first time. This change comes as Kenyan listeners spent over 180 million hours on Spotify in 2025, increasingly directing their attention to emerging local voices.

Njerae’s Unintentional and Watendawili’s En Route have debuted in the Top 5 most-streamed local albums. They share this space with enduring projects like Bien’s Alusa Why Are You Topside? a favorite with listeners aged 35-44 and Sauti Sol’s Midnight Train.

This year’s most-streamed song in Kenya is Njerae’s Aki Sioni. The track topped both local and international competition, with its core audience being listeners aged 18-24. Notably, only three of the country’s annual Top 10 songs were by non-Kenyan artists.

Watendawili secured four songs on the local streaming chart. Toxic Lyrikali, also named Spotify’s top discovered artist in Kenya for 2025, landed two tracks in the chart’s top ten.

Kenyan listening habits in 2025 were primarily driven by Rap, Hip Hop, Afropop, and Afrobeats. Spotify’s new Listening Age data reveals the average listener in Kenya is 28 years old. Meanwhile, artists like Idd Aziz, Karun, Bien, Sauti Sol and Zum led as export titans, with their music finding audiences worldwide. Karun’s global hits and Zum’s Rebel exemplified the international reach of the Kenyan sound.

Listener exploration spanned decades, with modern hits and nostalgic classics both forming a vital part of the annual streaming experience. “Kenya’s 2025 Wrapped reveals a music scene that’s more vibrant than ever,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa. “It’s inspiring to see how strongly Kenyans have streamed their own homegrown talent this year, championing rising voices while still celebrating the artists who’ve shaped the culture.”