Ayra Starr makes history by surpassing Tyla to become the African artist with the most Spotify listeners.
On June 4, 2024, Ayra Starr achieved a landmark feat, topping Tyla to become the African artist with the most monthly listeners on Spotify. As of the time of this article, Ayra Starr has amassed 31,406,881 monthly listeners on Spotify, while Tyla has 31,223,494.
This achievement sees Ayra Starr follow in the footsteps of Wizkid, CKay, Burna Boy, Tems, and Rema, who previously held the record for the African artist with the most Spotify monthly listeners.
In 2021, at the peak of his global hit single ‘Love Nwantiti,’ CKay reached 30 million monthly listeners, setting an African record at the time. Similarly, in 2023, Rema reached 34 million monthly listeners at the height of his record-breaking song ‘Calm Down,’ becoming the African artist with the most Spotify monthly listeners.
Spotify monthly listeners are heavily influenced by the success of new releases, and Ayra Starr’s recent achievement is attributed to the release of her second album, ‘The Year I Turned 21.’ The 15-track album, featuring guest appearances from Seyi Vibez, Asake, Giveon, Coco Jones, Aniita, and Milar, has garnered critical acclaim.
The album has set a new record for the most opening day Spotify streams for an album by a Nigerian female artist, solidifying Ayra Starr’s status as one of Africa’s biggest stars.