Davido’s ‘Champion Sound’ is the most played amapiano song in the last decade

Spotify, a global online streaming platform, has announced that “Champion Sound” by Davido featuring Focalistic is the most streamed amapiano song of the last decade.

This announcement was made on Sunday, South Africa Youth Day, which celebrates the country’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 artists in Nigeria.

Champion sound

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

Davido and Focalistic’s ‘Champion Sound’ was released in 2021, following his 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 growing global appeal.

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

Nigeria, in particular, has seen a 181 percent increase in Amapiano viewership between 2023 and 2024.

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

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Although the musical genre has always existed, Amapiano’s breakout year was 2020, when it reached 100 million streams on Spotify for the first time.

By 2021, this figure had tripled, cementing the genre’s place on the world stage.

In June 2023, Spotify premiered “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, with a 345,000 percent increase in streams between 2014 and 2023 and more than 855 million in 2024.

Female artists weren’t left out either, seeing an 87 percent increase from 2022 to 2023, with 40 percent of listeners between 18 and 24 years old.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music in sub-Saharan Africa, said: “One of the most affirming parts of seeing the explosion of Amapiano over the last decade is seeing how people use it to express themselves.”

In honor of “A Decade of Amapiano,” Spotify is hosting tours for influencers and media around the world, including countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Japan, Brazil, Egypt, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The tour began last year and explores the roots of the genre and its global influence.

Here are the best Amapiano tracks from Spotify in Nigeria over the last decade:

1. Davido, Focalist – “Champion Sound”

2. TitoM, Yuppe, SNE, EeQue – “Tshwala Bam”

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

4. TitoM, Yuppe, Burna Boy, SNE – “Tshwala Bam (Remix)”

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