Spotify’s “Afrobeats: Journey to a Billion Streams” site, launched in June, current update delves into the fusion of Afrobeats with genres such as Amapiano, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Reggae, and more.
Afrobeats: Journey to a Billion Streams tracks the explosive growth of Afrobeats from West Africa to a globally recognized sound.
The site is updated bi-weekly and has journeyed through Afrobeats’ origins and evolution.
Research conducted by Kuvora on behalf of Spotify shows that 90% of fans agree that fusing Afrobeats with other sounds has been helpful to its growth.
The fusion of Afrobeats has also contributed to the pan-Africanism of sound, allowing artists from other countries to infuse the genre with their own local sounds.
This week’s expert videos include Benewaah Boateng (Spotify’s West Africa Editor), Efya (a Ghanaian artist), Seyi Shay (a Nigerian singer and songwriter), Kofi Bansah (a Ghanaian music producer), Obi Asika (CEO of Storm Records), and May7ven (a UK based Afrobeats artist and pioneer).
New data updates include the most liked and playlisted Afrobeats tracks, hours streamed by gender, and a curated list of Afrobeats fusion tracks.
Benewaah Boateng says, “The current Afrobeats sound we know and love has always been on a constant journey of evolving. Now to see that progress into more fusion with global and continental sounds is very exciting.”
