Spotify Data Reveals Sonic Evolution of Afrobeats and How Women are Redefining The Narrative

Afrobeats has experienced a sonic evolution in the 2020s, moving from high-energy, feel-good anthems to a sound that embraces vulnerability and melancholy. This shift is not a coincidence; it is being driven by a new era of artists who are rewriting the script and expanding the genre’s emotional and sonic boundaries. 

From dance floor to daydreams

The genre’s sound has fundamentally changed. The quiet of the pandemic era forced Afrobeats to trade pure party for profound introspection and the numbers don’t lie. This is the new emotional core of the world’s most vital genre.

• Afrobeats track tempo has slowed from a charging 119 BPM in 2015 to a more contemplative 114 BPM in 2025.

• The most-streamed mood category in Nigeria is “whiny,” which is characterised by expressive, emotionally charged vocals, accounting for 35% of streams.

• Afro Adura has resonated profoundly, with its listenership rising by more than 40,000% since 2020.

Women of Afrobeats: A new era of power, presence, and possibility

Similarly, in the 2020s, the Women of Afrobeats are creating their own lanes with a sound and aesthetic that defies norms. In this era, women are experimenting with styles that range from introspective soul to unapologetic pop.

• Tems didn’t just smash the ceiling; she became the first African woman to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams on a single track, going on to become the first Nigerian artist to secure two Grammys.

• Ayra Starr isn’t just a star; she’s a pop powerhouse. In 2024, she was the most-streamed Nigerian artist in Latin America and the most streamed Nigerian woman in Europe. She has also seen an over 3,000% increase in her Spotify streams in Nigeria since 2020.

• Artists like Bloody Civilian, Fave, Kold AF, Morravey, Juno, and Amaeya are defining the future and are unconcerned with convention.

You can read the full stories on the sound evolution and women on the Afrobeats Culture in Motion microsite right now on Spotify For the Record and check out the NXT playlist on Spotify. .