Is Afrobeats Taking Over Latin America on Spotify?
It could signal the genres’ next big frontier, with Spotify reporting 180% growth across Latin America.
Afrobeats has gone global, but if you want to see where the genre is catching fire right now, look to Latin America. Spotify’s new project, Afrobeats: Culture in Motion, offers some eye-opening data on how the sound is traveling, and the numbers out of the region are staggering.
In the last year alone, the number of listeners in Latin America increased by more than 180%. Brazil alone has seen a 500% surge since 2020. That’s more than a spike, as it seems like the start of a movement. And when you look at the artists leading the charge, a clear top five comes into view.
Rema, for instance, tops the list with about 450 million streams, fueled by hits that have made him one of Afrobeats’ most visible global stars. Ayra Starr follows with 380 million, an impressive rise for an artist fast cementing her status as a generational voice. CKay, whose “Love Nwantiti” once sparked its own viral wave, comes in third with 310 million. Burna Boy holds fourth place with 290 million, while Wizkid rounds out the list at 250 million.
These big numbers are proof that Afrobeats has cracked the code for global resonance. In Latin America, the connection feels almost natural. The genre’s rhythms echo the region’s own history of dance-heavy sounds like reggaetón and samba, while Gen Z listeners are blending Afrobeats into playlists that blur the lines between “island vibes” and Latin grooves.
The global momentum is undeniable. Just this year, Rema’s Rave & Roses became the first African album to cross 3 billion Spotify streams, topping the platform’s all-time African chart. And while Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt remain streaming powerhouses, clocking more than 180 million hours of listening in 2025, new capitals are emerging. Cities like São Paulo, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro are fast becoming the next frontiers of Afrobeats.
Plus, with new subgenres like Afro-Adura beginning to take shape, the cross-continental exchange between Africa and Latin America is likely going to get stronger.
Emmanuel Umahi
