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Spotify Wrapped 2025 reveals a historic shift in Kenya’s music consumption, with listeners dedicating over 180 million hours to streaming and heavily championing a new wave of local artists. While established giants like Bien, Sauti Sol, and Wakadinali maintain their dominance, emerging acts have broken into the Top 10 lists for both artists and songs.

The most significant story of 2025 is the arrival of Njerae, Toxic Lyrikali, and Watendawili in Kenya’s Top 10 most-streamed local artists.

  • Njerae achieved the ultimate accolade: Her single “Aki Sioni” is the MOST-STREAMED SONG in Kenya for 2025, surpassing all international and local competition. Her album, Unintentional, also debuted in the Top 5 most-streamed local albums.
  • Watendawili secured four spots in the Top 10 most-streamed local songs, with hits including “Inakuballika,” “Matata,” and “Hadi Kesho.” Their album, En Route, also landed in the Top 5 local albums.
  • Toxic Lyrikali is not only a Top 10 local artist but also the Top Discovered Artist in Kenya for 2025, with two tracks (“Chinje” and “Backbencher”) in the local Top 10 songs.

“Kenya’s 2025 Wrapped reveals a music scene that’s more vibrant than ever. 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,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music Sub-Saharan Africa.

The rise in local streaming is further evidenced by the overall Top 10 Most-Streamed Songs in Kenya, where seven out of ten tracks are by Kenyan musicians.

Rank Song Title Artist Origin
1 Aki Sioni Njerae 🇰🇪 Local Breakout
2 Beta Mutoriah 🇰🇪 Local
3 Sina Noma Charisma 🇰🇪 Local
4 Inakubalika Matata, Watendawili 🇰🇪 Local Breakout
5 Extra Pressure Bensoul, Bien 🇰🇪 Local
6 Backbencher Toxic Lyrikali, County Hype 🇰🇪 Local Breakout
7 Luther (with SZA) Kendrick Lamar 🌎 International
8 Laho Shallipopi 🌎 International
9 Chinje Toxic Lyrikali 🇰🇪 Local Breakout
10 My Darling Chella 🌎 International

The country’s biggest stars continue to shine alongside the newcomers:

Chart Category Top 3 Artists/Albums Noteworthy Mentions
Top Streamed Artists 1. Drake
2.
Bien,
3. Kendrick Lamar		 Drake continues to dominate the 18-24 age group.
Top Streamed Local Artists 1. Bien,
2. Sauti Sol,
3. Wakadinali		 Toxic Lyrikali, Watendawili, and Njerae break into the top 10.
Top Streamed Kenyan Albums 1. Bien – Alusa Why Are You Topless?
2. Sauti Sol – Midnight Train
3. Njerae – Unintentional		 Bien’s album remains hugely popular with the 35-44 age bracket.

Kenyan artists are also making significant headway internationally, led by Idd Aziz, Karun, Bien, Sauti Sol, and Zum. Karun’s exported hits “Maharani” and “Mrignaini” and Zum’s “Rebel” are battling for global airtime.

Listening habits & genres

  • Average Listening Age: 28 years old.
  • Dominant Genres: Rap, Hip Hop, Afropop, and Afrobeats form the core of Kenya’s dynamic sound.
  • Historical Favorites: Kenyan listeners continue to enjoy music across decades, with Njerae’s “Aki Sioni” topping the 2020s and Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s “All The Stars” leading the 2010s.

Spotify 2025 Wrapped: Full Charts

 

TOP STREAMED KENYAN ARTISTS TOP STREAMED ARTISTS TOP STREAMED KENYAN SONGS
Bien Drake Njerae – Aki Sioni
Sauti Sol Bien Mutoriah – Beta
Wakadinali Kendrick Lamar Charisma- Sina Noma
Toxic Lyrikali Future Matata, Watendawili – Inakubalika
Bensoul Chris Brown Bensoul, Bien – Extra Pressure
Watendawili Travis Scott Toxic Lyrikali, County Hype – Backbencher
Njerae Gunna Toxic Lyrikali – Chinje
Nyashinski The Weeknd Watendawili – Cham Thum
Lil Maina Vybz Kartel Watendawili – Hadi Kesho
Okello Max Sauti Sol Savara – Show You Off