Spotify reveals top exported Amapiano tracks

Spotify, an online music streaming service, has revealed the top ten exported Amapiano tracks on its streaming service.
Spotify’s Sub-Saharan Africa Managing Director, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, made the announcement on Monday in Lagos.

According to reports, Amapiano is a subgenre of house music that emerged in South Africa in the mid-2010s. It is a fusion of deep house, jazz, and lounge music, with synths and wide percussive bass lines.

The top exported Amapiano tracks, according to Muhutu-Remy, were: Abo Mvelo (feat. Mellow & Sleazy & M.J); Love & Loyalty (Believe); Ameno Amapiano Remix (You Wanna Bamba); Big Flexa; Hamba Wena; WATAWI (feat. Davido, Focalistic & Abidoza); Abalele; Mina Nawe; Champion Sound and Tanzania.

She also listed the top exported Amapiano artistes on Spotify as: DJ Maphorisa; Kabza De Small; Focalistic; Young Stunna; Mellow & Sleazy; DBN Gogo; Costa Titch; Major League Djz; Kamo Mphela and Daliwonga.

“Amapiano’s unique sound and infectious beats have captivated audiences around the world, and are sure to keep fans dancing for years to come.

“As more artistes emerge and push the boundaries of the genre, there is no doubt that Amapiano is set to become a mainstay in the global music scene.

” Listeners on Spotify love tuning into the genre on weekday afternoons, with Friday evening peaks.

“Amapiano grooves, Spotify’s biggest Amapiano playlist is most popular among 18 to 24-year-olds, with listeners hailing from South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

“Spotify’s platform has helped Amapiano expand its reach, connecting the genre to a diverse global audience. With its steady growth and dedicated fanbase, Amapiano is poised to continue its success on Spotify and beyond,” she said.

Muhutu-Remy said Amapiano was arguably South Africa’s hottest cultural export right now and to showcase the genre, Spotify was hosting media and influencers from across the continent on an Amapiano tourism experience.

She said this allows the artistes and influencers share the roots of the genre, the power of collaborations and how streaming was helping to export local music to the world.

She noted that the experience was designed around some of Spotify’s most popular Amapiano playlists.

According to her, the tour highlights South African and Amapiano culture for guests from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa.

“In partnership with South African Tourism, it starts off with Amapiano 101- detailing the background of the genre, and giving guests a tour of its origins in townships like Mamelodi but also exploring other popular Amapiano spots in Soweto.

“The Amapiano Grooves segment of the tour showcases the impact of clubs on the music.

“The tour also tells a cultural story, like Mogodu Monday- the tradition of celebrating the least popular day of the week with Mogodu or tripe, and music .

“It also gives participants the opportunity to meet with local artistes in the studio and see where the music happens,” she said.

Muhutu-Remy noted that one of the top five exported Amapiano artistes in South Africa, Focalistic, dropped by for the first leg of the tour at one of the birthplaces of Amapiano, Jack Budha in Mamelodi, to share the genre’s origin story.

“Spotify data tells the story of just how popular Amapiano is right now, both at home and all around the world- with close to 2 billion streams in year 2022, representing a 143 per cent increase year on year.

“The genre has garnered a huge following, with more than 240, 000 playlists featuring Amapiano in the title and over 10 million playlists featuring at least one Amapiano track.

“Over 40 per cent of Amapiano streams come from listeners outside South Africa,” she said.

Nigerian artiste, WurlD, who also attended the first day of the tour explained why Amapiano is so popular around the world.

”Music is spiritual, Amapiano is spiritual.

“I was a fan, watching from a distance. Music is energy, what people are experiencing with Amapiano is the heart and soul of the people of South Africa, WurID said.