Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, famously known as Wizkid, has become the first African artiste to surpass 9 billion streams on Spotify. Yes, you read that right — 9 billion, with a “B”! That’s almost one stream for every person on the planet — and then some.
Wizkid’s music isn’t just playing in Lagos clubs or on Abuja car stereos anymore — it’s echoing through speakers in New York apartments, Paris cafés, and Tokyo nightclubs. From Ojuelegba to the world, the journey has been nothing short of magical.
At the heart of this Spotify feat is the global smash “One Dance”, a 2016 chartbuster where Wizkid teamed up with Canadian rapper Drake and British singer Kyla. The song alone boasts a staggering 3.7 billion streams, making it one of the top 10 most streamed songs ever on the platform. In fact, “One Dance” once held the Guinness World Record for being the first single to cross 1 billion streams on Spotify. Not bad for a Lagos boy who started out making beats in Surulere.
Then there’s “Essence”, the sultry, soul-soothing hit featuring Tems, which currently holds over 303 million streams. When Justin Bieber jumped on the remix, even more listeners worldwide started dancing to the Afrobeats rhythm. Some fans even call it the “song of the century” — and frankly, who are we to argue?
This milestone puts Wizkid in elite company — though, to be fair, Taylor Swift is still sitting comfortably at the top with over 1.5 billion streams… per month. But hey, even Taylor hasn’t dropped a song that made people scream “shey you go dey for me?” at wedding receptions across continents.
Wizkid’s rise isn’t just about numbers. It’s about what those numbers represent — a cultural shift. Afrobeats has gone from being Nigeria’s beloved sound to a global genre, and Wizkid has been one of its biggest ambassadors. From Grammy wins to sold-out arenas across Europe and America, he’s put Africa — and especially Nigeria — on the global music map.
On Twitter (or should we say X), fans didn’t hold back their excitement. One user wrote, “Wizkid don dey stream pass fuel price o!” Another joked, “9 billion streams? Na so Wizkid dey stream even inside people dreams.”
For all his fame, Wizkid remains as laid-back as ever. No long talk, no loud announcements — just music that speaks volumes.
So what’s next for Wizkid? A 10 billion milestone? A new album? A surprise tour? Nobody really knows — and that’s exactly how he likes it.
But one thing is certain: Starboy dey for everybody — and now, the whole world is listening.
