Davido’s ‘Champion Sound’ is most-streamed Amapiano song in last decade – Spotify

Spotify, a global online streaming platform, has announced that Davido’s “Champion Sound” featuring Focalistic is the most streamed Amapiano song of the past decade.

This announcement was made on Sunday, South Africa’s Youth Day, which celebrates the nation’s youth and their quest for freedom and justice.

Although Amapiano is peculiar to South African culture, it has evolved into a dynamic sound used by several artistes in Nigeria.

Champion Sound

“Champion Sound” is a vibrant blend of Nigerian and South African musical elements.

‘Champion Sound’ by Davido and Focalistic was released in 2021, after their hit single “Ke Star ”, featuring Virgo Deep.

Focalistic produced the song, and Dalia Dias, a British-born Nigerian and Egyptian creative director, directed the video.

Amapiano

In 2023, Amapiano reached over 1.4 billion streams on Spotify, reflecting its burgeoning global appeal.

According to Spotify, the genre has captivated audiences worldwide, igniting dance trends and fostering international collaborations.

Nigeria, in particular, has seen an 181 per cent increase in Amapiano listenership between 2023 and 2024.

To celebrate this milestone, Spotify launched “A Decade of Amapiano,” a dedicated site exploring the genre’s evolution. This platform offers essential playlists and podcasts for fans to explore Amapiano’s rich history and vibrant future.

More records

Although the genre of music has always existed, Amapiano’s breakout year was 2020, hitting 100 million streams on Spotify for the first time.

By 2021, this number had tripled, cementing the genre’s place on the global stage.

In June 2023, Spotify debuted “Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams.” “A Decade of Amapiano” continues Spotify’s mission to highlight African music.

The site celebrates the genre’s rise from South African townships to global recognition, boasting a 345,000 per cent increase in streams from 2014 to 2023 and over 855 million in 2024.

Female artistes were also not left out, as they saw an 87 per cent increase from 2022 to 2023, with 40 per cent of listeners aged 18-24.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music in Sub-Saharan Africa, noted, “One of the most affirming parts of watching Amapiano explode over the past decade is seeing how people use it for self-expression.”

In honour of “A Decade of Amapiano,” Spotify is organising tours for influencers and media worldwide, including countries like South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Japan, Brazil, Egypt, France, the USA, and the UK.

The tour began last year and explores the genre’s roots and global influence.

Here are Spotify’s top Amapiano tracks in Nigeria over the last decade:

1. Davido, Focalistic – “Champion Sound”

2. TitoM, Yuppe, S.N.E, EeQue – “Tshwala Bam”

3. Tyler ICU, Tumelo_za, DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA, Tyron Dee – “Mnike”

4. TitoM, Yuppe, Burna Boy, S.N.E – “Tshwala Bam (Remix)”

5. Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo, Justin99, Pcee, Chley, EeQue, Chley – “Yahyuppiyah”