Kenya’s music landscape is experiencing a significant and exciting shift, a trend boldly highlighted by the release of Spotify Wrapped 2025.

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For the first time in years, the dominance of established favourites like Bien, Sauti Sol, and Wakadinali has been successfully challenged by a vibrant new wave of homegrown stars.

The data confirms a defining moment for Kenyan music, where both trusted legends and future-shaping voices are now sharing the country’s most coveted streaming lists.

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The average listening age in Kenya this year was recorded at 28, with listening habits dominated by genres including rap, Hip Hop, Afropop, Afrobeats, and R&B.

The Unstoppable Rise of Njerae

Leading this dramatic change is R&B sensation, Njerae. Her breakout track, 'Aki Sioni', has achieved an unprecedented feat, outpacing both international and local contenders to become Kenya’s most-streamed song of 2025.

Njerae//Instagram

This success was heavily driven by listeners aged 18–24, who streamed the song more than any other age group.

Njerae’s victory extends beyond singles; her album, Unintentional, debuted strongly in the Top 5 most-streamed local albums, sitting alongside established projects like Bien's Alusa, Why Are You Topless?.

ALSO READ: Beyond the Mic: Unpacking Njerae's Love for Potatoes, Psychology, and Authenticity

Njerae’s consistent rise has seen her previously named Apple Music's Africa Rising Class of 2025 and Spotify's EQUAL Africa Ambassador for June 2025.

New Stars Storm the Top 10

Njerae is not alone in rewriting the script. For the first time, both Toxic Lyrikali and Watendawili have successfully secured places among Kenya’s Top 10 most-streamed local artists.

  • Toxic Lyrikali had an exceptional year, securing two major chart positions with the tracks ‘Chinje’ and ‘Backbencher’. He was also crowned Kenya’s top discovered artist of 2025 on the platform.

  • Watendawili mirrored this surge, landing three songs on the local chart, including ‘Inakubalika’ (featuring Matata), ‘Cham Thum’, and ‘Hadi Kesho’. Their project, En Route, also debuted in the Top 5 most-streamed Kenyan albums.

These shifts highlight a strong year for homegrown music, with only three international tracks—Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Luther’, Shalipopi’s ‘Laho’, and Chella’s ‘My Darling’—making it into Kenya’s overall Top 10 most-streamed songs for 2025.

The Continued Strength of Established Titans

While the new wave is dominating the singles charts, established figures continue to hold significant sway, particularly in the album and artist categories.

  • Bien and Sauti Sol remain highly influential. Bien's album, Alusa, Why Are You Topless?, cemented its dominance, proving particularly popular among 35–44 year-old listeners.

  • Sauti Sol's legacy album, Midnight Train, also retained its strong positioning on the Top Streamed Local Albums list.

Sauti Sol//Mdundo

The overall Top Streamed Kenyan Artists list reflects this blend of old and new:

  1. Bien

  2. Sauti Sol

  3. Wakadinali

  4. Toxic Lyrikali

  5. Bensoul

  6. Watendawili

  7. Njerae

  8. Nyashinski

  9. Lil Maina

  10. Okello Max

Okello Max//topicha on Instagram