Nigerian music superstar Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has cemented his status as a global music icon by becoming the first African artist to surpass 9 billion streams across all credits on Spotify. This historic achievement solidifies his position as one of the most-streamed artists worldwide.
The milestone was driven largely by his 2016 global smash “One Dance” (featuring Drake and Kyla), which remains his most-streamed track at 3.7 billion plays—placing it among the Top 10 most-streamed songs in Spotify history. The track also holds a Guinness World Record as the first single ever to cross 1 billion streams on the platform.
Another standout, “Essence” (featuring Tems), has amassed over 303 million streams, making it Wizkid’s most-streamed lead single. The song became a global anthem, further propelling Afrobeats into mainstream recognition.
Also Read: Tems Makes History With 1 billion Streams on Spotify
While American superstar Taylor Swift remains the most-streamed artist overall (1.5 billion streams), Wizkid’s latest feat highlights the exponential growth of African music on the global stage. Industry analysts attribute his success to his ability to blend Afrobeats with international sounds, creating a unique appeal across continents.
Fans and fellow artists have flooded social media with congratulatory messages under hashtags like #Wizkid9Billion and #AfrobeatsToTheWorld.
