Spotify’s ‘African Heat’ has undergone a revamp, and African stars Aryra Starr, Wizkid, Davido and Bien are some of the artists featured on the debut playlist.
African Heat
Launched in 2018, African Heat is a playlist by Spotify boasting over one million followers on the platform.
The playlist has become one of the leading vehicles for African music to reach new audiences in the streaming era, helping listeners discover new and future African hits.
It is also connecting fans of the continent’s music through a shared love of these iconic sounds.
African Heat has helped to propel major hits including, Wizkids’s Essence, Ckay’s Love Nwantiti among others.
The playlist has featured music from all corners of the continent, also providing a democratized platform for emerging talents to reach global ears.
“African Heat is about community and telling the story of Africa’s incredible music and creators,” Phiona Okumu
Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu spoke on the importance of the playlist and the motivation behind its rebrand.
“For us, African Heat is about community and telling the story of Africa’s incredible music and creators for a global audience that has its ears perked.
We’re glad to usher in an even more ambitious era for this definitive playlist, while also continuing to validate African music’s biggest records and connecting to millions the world over” She said.
Spotify Playlist revamp Draws Inspiration from African public Transportation; ‘trotro, danfo and matatu’.
The new version of African Heat will emphasize exposure and awareness within Africa’s creator and listener communities, channeling the movement of the music across the continent and beyond.
The playlist’s rebrand draws inspiration from public transportation across Africa, particularly iconic vehicles like the trotro, danfo and matatu.
It also features input from and conversations with some of Africa’s most exciting emerging and established artists, as well as live elements to bring the new playlist to life and engage listeners.
