Spotify has announced a significant increase in the streaming of heartbreak songs in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day period, with a notable contribution from Nigerian men. The platform recorded a remarkable 626% rise in heartbreak-related streams from 2022 to 2024.
Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music for Sub-Saharan Africa, shared these insights in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, highlighting that heartbreak songs have emerged as a prevalent theme during Valentine’s festivities.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to process their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024,” Okumu said. “This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
On Valentine’s Day 2024, the song “Egwu” by Chike and Mohbad ranked among the top three most-streamed tracks in Nigeria, alongside Wizkid’s “One Love – Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film” and “Cast” by Shallipopi and Odumodublvck.
In 2023, Omah Lay’s poignant track “Soso” was among the most-streamed songs, along with j-hope’s “Arson” and Ayra Starr’s “Sability.”
Interestingly, contrary to the assumption that heartbreak music would be more popular during nighttime, Spotify’s data indicated that Nigerians predominantly listen to these songs between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. For three consecutive years, heartbreak songs have become a staple in the morning routines of Nigerians, often providing a backdrop as they process their emotions in private while at work.
Notably, male listeners exhibited a significantly higher engagement with heartbreak songs compared to female listeners on Valentine’s Day, with Spotify reporting a 362% increase in streams among men, contrasted with a 169% rise among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions,” Okumu explained.
