As part of efforts to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), Music platform Spotify has named Nigerian music stars Tems, Ayra Starr and South African singer Tyla among African female stars who are breaking music barriers globally.
The music platform added trailblazers like Tyla and Tems are changing the narrative with their groundbreaking achievements, adding that their music has impacted the global scene.
Tyla recently made history as the first African solo artist to reach one billion streams on Spotify with her viral hit ‘Water,’ a milestone that speaks volumes about women’s expanding influence in global music.
Meanwhile, Tems continues to break barriers as the first female African artist to achieve 1 billion Spotify streams, cementing her place in music history while opening doors for generations to come.
Spotify explained that these achievements aren’t just numbers—they represent a cultural shift where women’s voices are increasingly centred in narratives previously dominated by men.
2024 has seen women’s stories take centre stage through landmark album releases.
Ayra Starr’s introspective “The Year I Turned 21” and Tems’ bold “Born in the Wild” have dominated charts in Nigeria and Ghana, offering nuanced explorations of young womanhood in contemporary Africa.
According to the music platform, the statistics confirm this cultural shift, with female listenership surging across the region.
Nigeria has seen an impressive 108% increase, Kenya 26%, and Ghana 24%. These numbers reflect the growing economic and cultural influence of women who are actively shaping entertainment through their listening choices.
“As Women’s History Month invites us to reflect on women’s contributions and progress, these trends in music and podcast consumption reveal how African women are not just participating in culture—they’re actively reimagining and recreating it.
“Through every stream, playlist, and shared track, they’re writing a new chapter in the continent’s musical legacy, one that places women’s voices firmly at its centre.”
, Music platform Spotify has named Nigerian music stars Tems, Ayra Starr and South African singer Tyla among African female stars who are breaking music barriers globally.){kind=link}