Spotify Names Ayra Starr as No. 1 Female Afrobeats Artist of the Year

Nigerian artist Ayra Starr has been unavailable on the Spotify streaming platform as the number one female Afrobeats artist in their top 5 female Afrobeats artists in the last 12 months.

The global streaming platform describes Ayra Starr, whose name is Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, as “the pop star of Afrobeats,” making her one of the genre’s leading voices.

Others whose names appeared on the list are Grammy award winner Tems, whose name came second on the list; American-Cameroonian breakout act Libianca; French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, known for blending Afrobeats with French pop, ranked fourth; while British-Nigerian artist Darkoo completed the list at number five. However, South Africa’s global breakout star, Tyla, who won major Afrobeats awards in the past year, did not feature on the list.

Spotify also ranked the Top 5 Afrobeats Artists in Latin America, which was dominated entirely by Nigerians. Coming first on the list is Rema, whose hit ‘Calm Down’ continues to break streaming records worldwide.

The second on the list is Ayra star, this rank  proves her global impact, while CKay, famed for “Love Nwantiti”, took third place.

Afrobeats heavyweights Burna Boy and Wizkid followed in fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Spotify noted that the lists reflect the growing global appeal of Afrobeats, with Nigerian stars consistently leading both female and general categories.

They also added that the rankings were based on streaming data across regions, highlighting how Afrobeats has become a dominant sound not just in Africa but also in Europe, the Americas, and beyond.