Wizkid becomes first African singer to hit 12 billion Spotify streams

Nigerian Afrobeat musician Ayo Balogun, better known as Wizkid, has made history as the first African artist to reach 12 billion Spotify streams.

The announcement was made on Monday by WizStatz, a music statistics account on X.

Tagging Wizkid’s handle, WizStatz wrote, “WIZKID (@wizkidayo) becomes the first African Artist to surpass 12 billion Streams on Spotify Across All Credits.”

The figures include every song credited to Wizkid, including his solo releases, as well as collaborations and guest appearances on tracks by other artistes.

The 12 billion milestone came after the singer became the first African to hit 11 billion Spotify streams across all credits in May 2026.

Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a few of his church friends formed.

In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He gained recognition after releasing ‘Holla at Your Boy,’ the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011), which also spawned the singles ‘Tease Me/Bad Guys’ and ‘Don’t Dull.’

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