CKay Solidifies Global Status as ‘Love Nwantiti’ Hits Spotify’s Billion Stream Club

Nigerian music producer and artist CKay has cemented his place in global music history by becoming the first Nigerian artist to achieve one billion streams on Spotify with a solo single. This momentous feat was accomplished by his 2019 hit, “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah),” a track CKay pioneered as “Emo-Afrobeats” by marrying emotional depth with infectious African rhythms.

Dependable NG reports that the massive success of the song, which gained viral popularity across the globe thanks to international remixes and social media trends like TikTok, also makes CKay the first solo male artist from the African continent to reach this streaming peak.

The elated singer took to his X account to express his gratitude, stating, “First solo nigerian song to cross 1 billion streams. Grateful to God and the people involved in this historic success! thank you for streaming.”

This achievement places CKay among an elite group of African artists who have broken the billion-stream barrier, though each holds a distinct record: Wizkid was the first African artist overall to reach the milestone in 2017 through his collaboration on Drake’s “One Dance”; Rema became the first African lead artist to do so with his hit remix of “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez; and South African star Tyla holds the record for the first African female artist with her smash single, “Water.” CKay’s groundbreaking success with a solo track further signals the unstoppable and growing influence of authentic Afrobeats music on the international stage.