For the past two years, Bien, Sauti Sol, and Wakadinali have been the flagbearers of Kenyan music, consistently appearing in Spotify’s Top 10 most-streamed local artists. They’ve held their own alongside global heavyweights like Drake, who continues to dominate Kenya’s younger generation (18–24) as their most-streamed artist, and Kendrick Lamar, who remains hugely popular. They are respectively ranked as the first and third most-streamed artists in Kenya in 2025.
This year, however, the playing field has shifted. Kenyans spent more than 180 million hours on Spotify in 2025, and that time has increasingly gone into championing a new wave of homegrown talent.
New wave, new visibility
Spotify Wrapped 2025 for Kenya highlights an exciting evolution as emerging local musicians gain visibility across multiple charts. Njerae, Toxic Lyrikali, and Watendawili have all broken into Kenya’s Top 10 most-streamed songs on Spotify for the first time – a milestone strengthened by the strong performance of their albums.
- Njerae’s Unintentional and Watendawili’s En Route both debut in the Top 5 most-streamed local albums.
- These sit alongside the continued dominance of celebrated projects like Bien’s Alusa, Why Are You Topless? cemented by its popularity among 35-44 year-old listeners and Sauti Sol’s Midnight Train.
Together, these achievements signal a distinct moment for Kenya’s music landscape, where trusted favourites and future-shaping voices are sharing the spotlight.
The top songs Kenyans streamed on Spotify this year
The clearest proof of this new moment lies in the homegrown track sitting at the very top. Njerae’s Aki Sioni has outpaced every international and local contender to become Kenya’s most-streamed song of 2025, with 18-24 year-olds pressing play more than any other age group.
Only three of the top 10 most-streamed songs in Kenya this year are not from Kenyan musicians. International acts include Kendrick Lamar, with his song Luther, Shalipopi’s Laho and Chella’s My Darling in at number 10.
This new wave’s depth is further underscored by Watendawili, who secured four spots on Spotify’s local streaming chart with Inakuballika, Matata, Cham Thum( Atoti) and Hadi Kesho.
Equally striking is the rise of Toxic Lyrikali who is also the top discovered artist in Kenya on Spotify in 2025. His unfiltered sound has secured two spots on Spotify’s local streaming chart, with Chinje and Backbencher landing at numbers 6 and 7, respectively.
This double achievement underlines the diverse appeal and momentum of the new wave, proving that Kenyan artists are not just participating in culture – they are actively defining the nation’s contemporary soundtrack.
The top genres Kenyans are listening to
Streaming data from 2025 shows that Kenya’s listening habits are overwhelmingly driven by four main music categories:
- Rap
- Hip hop
- Afropop
- Afrobeats
Alongside R&B, these genres form the core of Kenya’s dynamic 2025 streaming landscape, leaving a lasting imprint on the modern Kenyan sound and continuing trends seen over previous years.
Interestingly, Spotify’s new Listening Age data in this year’s Wrapped experience shows that Kenya’s average listening age sits at 28.
Export titans and chart-topping songs
At the forefront of this new era stand the titans of export, Idd Aziz, the twin forces of Karun and Bien, the legendary Sauti Sol, and the rising star Zum. They have been the ambassadors for the Kenyan sound, with their music travelling further this year. Karun, in particular, dominated the charts with her exported hits like “Maharani” and “Mrignaini,” battling for global airtime alongside Zum’s infectious “Rebel” and Francis Mercier’s collaboration “Kamili.” Even Marioo and Bien’s track “Nairobi” carried the city’s pulse to every corner of the earth.
Celebrating history: Top songs across the last five decades
Kenyan listeners continued to explore music across the past five decades. A mix of modern hits and nostalgic classics features here, while throwbacks remain a vital part of the listening experience over the years.
Top songs by decade:
- 2020s:Njerae – Aki Sioni
- 2010s: Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All The Stars
- 1990s: Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks – No Air
- 1980s: Mario – Let Me Love You
- 1970s: Billie Eilish – Ocean Eyes
“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.
Ultimately, 2025 showcased Kenya’s music scene as a vibrant, evolving ecosystem where variety reigns. Marked by a surge in local listening and global-infused genres like Tecnobrega and 3 Step, the country is now boldly remixing, reclaiming, and broadcasting a new sonic identity to the world, pointing toward an exciting, unpredictable future.
