Rising Stars Redefine Kenya’s Music Scene in Spotify Wrapped 2025

After years of streaming dominance by established artists like Bien, Sauti Sol, and Wakadinali, a new generation of Kenyan talent is rising to prominence, reshaping the country’s most-streamed charts and marking a milestone for local music.

Kenyans spent over 180 million hours streaming music on Spotify this year, with a growing portion dedicated to emerging homegrown artists.

For the first time, Njerae, Toxic Lyrikali, and Watendawili have each earned spots among the Top 10 most-streamed Kenyan artists, while also featuring multiple hits across the top songs and albums lists.

Leading this new wave is Njerae, whose breakout hit ‘Aki Sioni’ became Kenya’s most-streamed song in 2025, especially popular among listeners aged 18 to 24.

Her album ‘Unintentional’ also debuted in the Top 5 most-streamed Kenyan albums.

Similarly, Watendawili made waves with three charting songs, including ‘Inakubalika’ featuring Matata, ‘Cham Thum (Atoti),’ and ‘Hadi Kesho,’ while their album ‘En Route’ also landed in the Top 5.

Toxic Lyrikali grabbed two key chart spots with ‘Chinje’ and ‘Backbencher’ and was named Kenya’s top discovered artist of the year on Spotify.

Alongside these rising stars, established favorites like Bien’s album ‘Alusa, Why Are You Topless?’ remain strong, particularly among 35–44-year-olds, while Sauti Sol’s ‘Midnight Train’ continues to receive significant streams.

The dominant genres in Kenya’s 2025 listening habits included rap, Hip Hop, Afropop, Afrobeats, and R&B, with the average listener age at 28.

International artists featured in only three of Kenya’s Top 10 most-streamed songs, including Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Luther,’ Shalipopi’s ‘Laho,’ and Chella’s ‘My Darling,’ highlighting the surge in local music appreciation.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the data reflects a vibrant and evolving music culture, with Kenyans increasingly championing both new voices and those who have defined their music heritage.

The Top 10 most-streamed Kenyan albums in 2025 are:

-Unintentional (Njerae)

-En Route (Watendawili)

-Alusa, Why Are You Topless? (Bien)

-Midnight Train (Sauti Sol)

-The Motions (Charisma)

-Afrikan Sauce (Sauti Sol)

-Disko (Kodong Klan)

-Live and Die in Afrika (Sauti Sol)

-The Party & The After Party (Bensoul)

-Ndani ya Cockpit 3 (Wakadinali)