Nigerian Afrobeats star CKay has achieved a historic milestone, with his global smash hit “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first solo Nigerian song to reach the landmark on the world’s largest music streaming platform.
Originally released in 2019 on his EP CKay The First, the track slowly blossomed into an international phenomenon. Its irresistible blend of Afrobeats rhythms and emotive melodies — a style CKay dubs “Emo‑Afrobeats” — helped fuel its rise, with audiences across the United States, India, Indonesia, Brazil, and the United Kingdom streaming the song in huge numbers well beyond its initial viral peak.
“Love Nwantiti” burst onto the global scene partly through viral TikTok challenges and a series of international remixes, which amplified its reach and cemented its status as one of Africa’s most enduring musical exports. Along with playlist placements and social media buzz, these dynamics helped push the song into Spotify’s exclusive “Billions Club.”
The milestone places CKay in an elite group of African artists whose music has crossed the billion‑stream threshold, highlighting not just his personal breakthrough but also the expanding global footprint of Nigerian music and Afrobeats.
CKay’s achievement is a landmark moment for the Nigerian music industry — a testament to the power of local sounds capturing global attention and reshaping the landscape of modern pop culture.
