Tyla made history as the first African solo artist to achieve a billion Spotify streams with her 2023 hit single “Water,” Spotify confirmed on Wednesday (February 19). This achievement follows the success of the song after its release on July 28, 2023 via FAX and Epic Records, preceded the debut self-titled album. “Water,” featuring a remix of Travis Scott and Marshmello, reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has broken through several charts including US Afrobeats Songs, World Digital Song Sales, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, and Rhothmic Airplay. did. Celebrations for the song include the first Best African Music Performance Award at the 2024 Grammy Awards, the Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeat Songs, and the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeat Video.
Phiona Okumu, head of music at Spotify in Africa, has expressed pride in Tyla’s achievements, calling it a testament to his talent, hard work and unifying power of music. She highlighted Tyra’s success as an inspiration for global artists, and highlighted Spotify’s role in her journey.
It is Tyla’s participation in Spotify’s Millions Club, one of a selected group of African artists who have reached this milestone.
congratulations @tyllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaThe latest member of , @spotify‘sbulions Club pic.twitter.com/zh3scxhqty
– Tyla Club (@tylaclub) February 19, 2025
Tems recently became the first African female artist to achieve this with Future’s “Wait For U” (also featured Drake). Wizkid was the first African artist to reach a billion streams with Drake’s “One Dance” (featuring Wizkid and Kyla), and Rema’s “Calm Down” (featuring Selena Gomez, featuring Remix) was the first African artist to reach a billion streams. It was the first African artist-led track to hit the mark.
