IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, African music has undergone major shifts. Mainstream genres have crossed over successfully into the global music market, female musicians continue to rise to the forefront, claiming equal spaces as their male counterparts, and in 2024, local music consumption soared (according to Spotify, sub-Saharan Africa saw 114% growth). Yet, the excitement toward the industry seems to be just getting started.
What could the future possibly hold for the vibrant music scene? In this exclusive report, we delve into the minds of industry insiders working across the West, East, and Southern African markets to uncover the key trends shaping the African music landscape in 2025.
“I think we’re going to see not only a continuation but also greater amplification and the revival of traditional sounds. I think largely from a consumer perspective, this is due to the role that TikTok is playing in artist discovery. Across the world, for a couple of years now, we’ve been seeing classic hits getting a resurgence on the platform because young people are discovering the songs, falling in love with them, and creating content around them. Looking at Kenya specifically, there’s a trend that started last year and is spilling into this year of young people rediscovering a genre of music called Mugithi. It is a vernacular Kikuyu genre that our parents and grandparents listen to, and it’s very specific to a certain region of Kenya. It’s not really the type of genre that you’d expect young people across the country to engage with, but they are doing so thanks to TikTok.
We’re in the age of younger artists traveling outside the continent and taking up their positions in the forefront. We’ve seen that with Ayra, Tems, and Tyla. However, I feel like this might be the year of the East African pop star. We’ve seen increasing interest from indie and major labels setting up shop here and signing artists over the years, and that of course will have an effect on the development of the industry as well as creating superstars. There’s Joshua Baraka, an incredibly talented artist from Kampala, Uganda. His team has been working really hard these past couple of years to build him up, and he has all the signs of a pop star that can cross over. There’s also Tanzanian artist Abigail Chams and Kenya’s Bien, who are definitely artists to watch this year. In 2025, I see Nairobi gaining a lot more recognition as a cultural hub as well.”
“I think we’re going to see more new and emerging artists break through this year. Usually, we’d have one or two artists, but this year, we’ll get multiple from across the continent. We’re going to see new names from East, Francophone, and Lusophone Africa. It won’t be a matter of coming out from a particular country. If I’m Nigerian, I’m going to be rooting for a Tanzanian artist that I see taking off.
This generation has shown us that collaboration helps us grow bigger, so we’re also going to see more collaborations across countries too. We saw that a lot with amapiano and afrobeats. Now, we’ll see artists we didn’t expect collaborating with one another. For instance, Rwandan artist Bruce Melody has a project coming out soon, and he’s collaborating with some incredible artists across the continent, including Nigeria.”
“There will be a greater focus on remaining independent as an artist. Artists will pursue more distribution deals, and given some of the artist-label disputes witnessed in 2024, there will be an increased demand for entertainment lawyers with increased scrutiny of deal terms.
The quantity of music releases will increase even further. This was the prevailing strategy in 2024, and it will become even more pronounced in 2025. Artists and labels will continue to feed the streaming machine with constant releases, and consumers will remain inundated with options.
Global touring will become more commonplace for mid-tier Afrobeats artists. The ceiling is being broken by bigger artists, and more mid-tier artists will leverage the infrastructure they have built to their own advantage. This will further solidify the global standing of Afrobeats as a bonafide movement that is truly here to stay.”
“2025 will see more dance music influences, such as house, techno, and more, fused with emerging genres such as Afrobeats. Tracks like Asake and Sarz’s “C’mon Look!” (sampling K1 De Ultimate’s “Won Tun-Nna”) and Burna Boy’s “Bundle by Bundle” (featuring a sample from the iconic “Fish Go Deep” by The Cure) showcase this trend. Even “Active” by Asake and Travis Scott has dance music elements. This shift reflects a craving for fresh sounds and styles, and we’ll be hearing more of it in 2025.
The dominance of icons like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido is shifting. Newer artists like Seyi Vibez, Ayo Maff, Llona, and Young Jonn are taking over. On Nigeria’s 2024 Spotify Wrapped, four of the top five tracks were from artists who emerged in the past three to four years. This trend isn’t limited to Nigeria. 2025 will see fresh superstars rising across Africa, South America, and India.
Younger generations are rediscovering and reimagining traditional genres. Tracks like FirstKlaz’s “Gen Z Fuji,” Joey B’s “Princess” in Ghana, and Kizz Daniel’s “Marhaba” featuring Moroccan traditional sounds reflect this shift. This growing appreciation for local culture, fused with modern sounds, highlights a push for individuality and authenticity in global music.”
“This year is going to see an explosion of indigenous Nigerian house tracks from the many DJ-turned-producers who’ve been shaping the club/party landscape in Lagos over the past two years. A few of the frontrunners, including myself, include: Aniko, Ifeme C.S, Kevin LNDN, and Tobi Peter. Nigeria/Africa’s burgeoning indie scene will make massive waves this year. Keep an eye out for what’s happening with Engage Space and its involved artists.
“I think 2025 will be filled with house music! We will see the continent embracing 3-Step, the latest electronic sound coming from South Africa. It’s an infectious blend of deep house, Afro-house, amapiano, and Afro-tech, which emerged five years ago but started gaining popularity in 2022. As a woman who grew up with 2-step garage, this is an exciting extension of the sounds we know and love.
There will be a sharp rise in Afrobeats artists on pure house tracks. Omah Lay’s “Moving” and Joeboy’s “Dia Dia” showcased this in 2024, but I expect to see all tiers of artists getting involved. This won’t be restricted to international features, though it will help with global positioning. We should anticipate more cross-continent collaborations too. House genres, like EDM, will triple their cult followings and make their mark on mainstream consciousness with larger-than-life, experience-led events.”
“If South Africa’s recent run is anything to go by, the next year is set to be full of fresh events, collaborative work, and lots and lots of Afrohouse! This festive period showed us that there’s a ton of diasporic African stables teaming up with Africans at home in an attempt to reclaim house music’s Black roots on the continent. Singer-songwriters and rappers are finding their groove there. DJs who never thought they’d leave their hometowns are touring. Producers are slowing things down, leaning into amapiano’s house heritage and showing their range.
3-Step playlists, events, and interpretations, along with fresh takes on Afrohouse remixes and edits, will become more frequent. This, all off the back of what amapiano and afrobeats gave us as a starting point for reimagining our places in the global music industry. Most of the continent has been in amapiano or afrobeats mode, but there’s a shift now, where folks have seen amapiano’s power and can have that for Afrohouse, where it’s not just in the hands of South Africans anymore. Ask Sofiya Nzau, Spinall, Thakzin, Major League DJz, Desiree, Nitefreak, to name just a few. I see folks like them galvanizing scenes across the continent that didn’t exist or persist before, and a lot of experimenting from artists who now have the permission to be fearless with their own indigenous sounds.
We can see it in rhumba’s immense legacy, which includes Haitian kompa — and they’re all resonating with more folks here at home and abroad, slowly creeping into the dance space. There’s an African electronic music renaissance brewing, and we’re seeing big events, extended sets, and new allegiances forming quickly behind the scenes. If I’m right, the rest of the industry has a lot of catching up to do. The game has changed … and African DJs and producers specifically are holding all the cards.”
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