Burna Boy Achieves Significant Spotify Milestone

Nigerian artist Burna Boy has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the African artist with the highest number of monthly listeners on Spotify, reaching 47.4 million. This surpasses the previous record held by South African singer Tyla and sets a new standard for African music on the platform.

This accomplishment follows the success of “Dai Dai,” Burna Boy’s official anthem for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which features Colombian artist Shakira. Since its release, the song has gained significant popularity, contributing to Burna Boy’s increased listener count on Spotify.

“Dai Dai” reached No. 1 on the Spotify Global Top Songs chart on June 30, making Burna Boy the first African lead artist to achieve this distinction. This milestone also marks the first time an African artist has topped the chart since Wizkid did so with Drake’s “One Dance” in 2016.

Tyla previously held the record for the highest monthly listeners among African artists, reaching 46.58 million in December 2025. Burna Boy’s recent success with “Dai Dai” has allowed him to reclaim the top position with a new record.

The song, released on May 15 as the official World Cup anthem, has received over 123 million streams on Spotify. It features lyrics in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Japanese, blending Shakira’s pop style with Burna Boy’s Afrofusion sound. The track also includes songwriting contributions from Ed Sheeran, Jon Bellion, and other notable writers.

Burna Boy and Shakira performed “Dai Dai” during the World Cup opening ceremony on June 11, and the song remains prominent as it is included in Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour setlist for North America. The music video, which features appearances from notable athletes like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland, has further enhanced its reach.

With the World Cup ongoing and the final set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, “Dai Dai” continues to gain traction, raising the potential for Burna Boy to become the first African artist to exceed 50 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

This latest achievement adds to Burna Boy’s impressive streaming record. In 2025, he reached 1.986 billion Spotify streams, the highest annual total for an African artist, surpassing Wizkid and Tyla. He is also the first African musician to have two individual studio albums each exceed one billion streams on the platform, reinforcing his status as one of Africa’s leading global music figures.