Today Amapiano is everywhere. Some of the world’s biggest artists, including Beyoncé, have spoken about being Amapiano fans and have put out tracks featuring Amapiano artists. In 2023, Beyoncé even played Amapiano legend Uncle Waffles’ song “Tanzania” during her Renaissance world tour. The genre also got its first Grammy in 2024, with Tyla’s “Water” taking home the “Best African Music Performance” award.  But that popularity wasn’t always guaranteed. When Amapiano first emerged on the streets of South Africa’s townships a decade ago, many derided it. It was seen as something for people fr ..read more

From the music studio to the dance challenge, from the lifestyle to the mpahla (slang for fashion), women have played a critical role in shaping and giving direction to the Amapiano movement. Women who are essential to Amapiano’s success do not enjoy the comparative success of their male counterparts even though Spotify recorded an 87% growth in the streams of female Amapiano artists in 2023 compared to 2022.  Despite the effort, passion, skills, and talent that women have and continue to contribute to Amapiano’s success, Spotify data shows that the top 10 most-streamed Amapiano artists a ..read more

You can’t search for South African music today and not have several Amapiano artists appear in your results. The genre has surged across global dance floors thanks to collaborations, the growth of digital music streaming, and an era where viral dance challenges brought exciting snippets of its distinct sound to the world. But how did these elements collide in an era of social distancing and get Amapiano on the world stage? Socially distanced connections Amapiano was already growing by the time March 2020 COVID-19 restrictions hit South Africa and the rest of the world. It more than doubled its ..read more

The sound of Amapiano is like prolonging moments when, in South African townships, the sounds of everyday living merge with the music that forms the bedrock of daily life there. Before dawn, a hymn sung while sweeping might match the rhythm at a nearby lala vuka (all nighter). One afternoon, the rain overhead might intensify to match an aunty or uncle’s favorite part of a jazz song. Nobody’s dog could bark an ad-lib to the bassline playing in a passing car. Amapiano plucks what is almost in the township air and originates sound, dance, fashion, lingo, and overall culture from that. Amapiano wa ..read more

Amapiano is a force to be reckoned with on the global music stage, and this is thanks to its influence on popular culture. “Spotify provides a home for Amapiano to grow, with 55% of the music getting played from outside South Africa,” says Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa.  The heroes of the Amapiano movement are also getting deserved recognition. From Uncle Waffles being the first Amapiano DJ to perform on the Coachella main stage to singer-songwriter Tyla earning a Grammy, this distinctly South African dance music is now being adopted into mainstream culture acr ..read more

Spend enough time browsing music and entertainment news sites, and you’ll find no shortage of articles about Amapiano’s decade-long rise from underground genre to global phenomenon—in addition, articles about international megastars’ collaborating with Amapiano artists or featuring their songs on world tours.  But Amapiano is far more than just a music genre. It has grown in popularity and become a lifestyle with significant influences on dance and fashion. And just like the music itself grew over 153K% in exports from 2014 to 2023, those influencers are also going global. Perhaps the bes ..read more

Our planet is facing some serious issues. And How We Fix This—a new podcast hosted and narrated by Emmy and Golden Globe awarded actor Alexander Skarsgård—offers some serious solutions. Co-produced by non-profit impact ecosystem Norrsken and Spotify, the series will spotlight eight pioneering startups that are building tools to combat some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.  Over 8 episodes, How We Fix This will explore a significant global dilemma and highlight the innovative approaches startups are taking to address them. The series not only features the f ..read more

In May, Spotify and Billie Eilish welcomed U.K. fans inside the vast, mysterious world of her third studio album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, during an immersive listening experience hosted at the innovative London showspace Lightroom. On June 18, we’re introducing this one-of-a-kind experience to Billie’s fans in Seoul, South Korea. What can they expect? The event will offer a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Billie’s latest musical journey. Visitors will dive into Billie’s world through the album art—an image of the artist underwater, floating beneath a white wooden door. As they make t ..read more

Can you hear the soundtrack to your life over the next few months? It’s time for Spotify’s Songs of Summer to take over your speakers as you hit the beach, lay out by the pool, and BBQ with your friends. Our crystal ball was clear with last year’s Songs of Summer predictions, featuring bangers like Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” “WHERE SHE GOES” by Bad Bunny, and “Ella Baila Sola,” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma. Once again, our Spotify Editorial team have surveyed the music landscape and delivered their predictions for the songs that will define summer 2024. 2024’s Songs of Summer, predicte ..read more

From the rise of disco in the 1970s to the current wave of hyper pop, queer creators continue to shape trends, styles, and creative expressions in music and beyond. Last year, as part of Spotify’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity within the audio industry, we launched GLOW, our year-round global music program amplifying LGBTQIA+ artists and creators. Through GLOW, Spotify uplifts LGBTQIA+ creators and ensures that their contributions to music and culture are heard and celebrated year-round. That includes Pride Month, an annual time celebrated around the world to honor the comm ..read more