Billboard is continuous to increase its world footprint with the launch of Billboard Africa, which was introduced Wednesday night time (June 4) at our inaugural International Energy Gamers occasion in London.
In partnership with International Enterprise Companions, Billboard Africa will proceed Billboard‘s dedication to highlighting main developments inside the African music business and embracing the continent’s numerous voices and wealthy tales by occasions, awards and unique multimedia content material. The platform goals to change into the main hub for African music and tradition, strengthening ties between artists and followers in addition to the native music financial system.
“We’re thrilled to launch Billboard Africa, a pivotal step in recognizing Africa’s profound contributions to world music tradition,” stated Josh Wilson, managing director at International Enterprise Companions. “African music will not be solely wealthy and numerous however a driving drive that continues to reshape world music developments. Billboard Africa will create an area the place these voices are amplified, the place artists join with new audiences, and the place followers and business professionals alike can witness the total impression of Africa’s artistic vitality.”
In honor of Billboard Africa launching, we’re celebrating 11 African artists’ trailblazing efforts within the world music scene.
Whereas Rema‘s “Calm Down,” that includes Selena Gomez on the remix, grew to become the primary African artist-led music to hit one billion Spotify streams, he’s not the one African artist in Spotify’s Billions Membership. Wizkid was the primary African member and likewise one of many first members ever when Drake’s “One Dance,” additionally that includes Kyla, grew to become the very first music to hit one billion streams on the streaming service in 2016. And whereas Wiz can also be the primary Nigerian artist to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Scorching 100 with the identical music in 2016, South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela grew to become the primary African artist to prime the all-genre songs tally almost 50 years earlier with “Grazing within the Grass.” CKay additionally landed a historic No. 1 on a Billboard chart that was model new on the time: the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart that we launched in partnership with Afro Nation in 2022, which ranks the 50 hottest Afrobeats songs within the nation.
Like Masekela, many African acts have paved the best way for others to attain historic firsts in their very own proper. Miriam Makeba, also referred to as “Mama Africa,” was the primary African artist to win a Grammy in 1966, and nearly 60 years later, Tyla received the primary Grammy in the perfect African music efficiency class that the Recording Academy launched in 2024. And Tems, who received her second Grammy in that class earlier this 12 months with “Love Me JeJe,” made historical past in an entire completely different subject when she grew to become the primary African-born lady to personal a Main League Soccer crew when she joined the San Diego FC possession group as a membership accomplice.
From the Nineteen Sixties to the 2020s, have a look again at extra of the historic firsts African artists have completed.
(*11*)
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Miriam Makeba turns into the primary African artist to win a Grammy (1966)
Miriam Makeba grew to become the primary African artist to win a Grammy in March 1966, taking dwelling the trophy for finest people recording along with her and her mentor Harry Belafonte‘s 1965 album An Night with Belafonte/Makeba. Her 1965 solo album Makeba Sings! was additionally nominated in the identical class.
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Hugh Masekela turns into the primary African artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Scorching 100 (1968)
Hugh Masekela grew to become the primary African artist to have a No. 1 hit on the Scorching 100 with “Grazing within the Grass” in July 1968. It spent two consecutive weeks on the prime. The music additionally reached No. 15 on Grownup Modern and spent 4 weeks at No. 1 on Scorching Rhythm & Blues Singles.
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CKay’s “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” turns into the primary No. 1 hit on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart (2022)
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Davido turns into the primary African artist to carry out on the FIFA World Cup outdoors of Africa (2022)
Davido grew to become the primary African artist to carry out on the FIFA World Cup outdoors of Africa in December 2022. He carried out “Hayya Hayya (Higher Collectively)” alongside American singer-songwriter Trinidad Cardona and Qatari singer-songwriter Aisha, which was featured on the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Soundtrack, through the closing ceremony on the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
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Uncle Waffles turns into the primary amapiano act to carry out at Coachella (2023)
Uncle Waffles grew to become the primary amapiano act to carry out at Coachella in April 2023. “The sound deserves to be on phases this large,” she instructed Billboard earlier than her set. She returned to the desert earlier this 12 months to carry out at REVOLVE Competition. “I’m so excited to be bringing the sound to the world. I do know lots of people, they in all probability received’t know what amapiano is, however I’m excited to be their first expertise. I hope everybody loves it after they get to see me,” she instructed Billboard.
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Burna Boy turns into the primary Nigerian artist to headline and promote out a U.S. stadium (2023)
Burna Boy grew to become the primary Nigerian artist to headline and promote out a U.S. stadium throughout his present at NYC’s Citi Area in July 2023. The historic cease was a part of his Love, Damini world tour and fell on the primary anniversary of his album Love, Damini, which peaked at No. 2 on World Albums and earned a 2023 Grammy nomination for finest world music album. The earlier April, he grew to become the primary Nigerian artist to headline and promote out NYC’s Madison Sq. Backyard.
“It’s like I’m higher at [performing] than making music. And that claims lots as a result of I’m actually good at making music,” he stated in his 2022 Billboard cowl story. “You see how with Christ, there’s B.C. and A.D.? I really feel like that’s how it’s for me with performing. There’s going to be a ‘Earlier than Burna Got here’ and ‘After Burna’s Demise’ time interval within the performing arts world. That’s my legacy.”
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Rema’s “Calm Down,” that includes Selena Gomez, turns into the primary African artist-led music to hit one billion Spotify streams (2023)
Rema’s “Calm Down,” that includes Selena Gomez, grew to become the first African-artist led music to hit one billion Spotify streams in September 2023. “It’s a blessing. It’s not only a large win for me, my crew and household, it’s additionally an enormous one for the tradition. I really feel actually blissful and I’m actually pleased with the followers as properly for going again to the music and placing folks on the music. Shout out to the DJs and everybody who made this doable,” he stated in a press assertion.
The music additionally reached No. 3 on the Scorching 100 and hit No. 1 on the next Billboard charts: U.S. Afrobeats Songs (for a file 59 weeks), World Digital Music Gross sales (32 weeks), Pop Airplay (5 weeks), Rhythmic Airplay (4 weeks) and Grownup Pop Airplay (two weeks).
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Black Espresso turns into the primary South African DJ to headline and promote out NYC’s Madison Sq. Backyard (2023)
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Tyla wins the primary Grammy in the perfect African music efficiency class (2024)
Tyla received her first Grammy and the primary Grammy within the augural finest African music efficiency class for her 2023 smash “Water” in February 2024. “It’s one thing that lots of people attempt towards and wish to win a minimum of as soon as of their lifetime. And I’m so blessed to have obtained one so early in my profession,” she stated in her Billboard cowl story final 12 months. “That class is one thing that was launched in my lifetime, and I used to be the primary individual to win it. And I’m in a position to deliver it dwelling again to South Africa. The South African style of amapiano simply began effervescent, and I’m so proud that South Africa has a style that individuals are having fun with and listening to. I’m tremendous pleased with my nation and the place our sound has gone.”
The Scorching 100 No. 7 hit additionally received prime Afrobeats music on the 2024 Billboard Music Awards and finest Afrobeats video on the MTV Video Music Awards.
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Tems turns into the primary African-born lady to personal a Main League Soccer crew (2025)
Tems grew to become the primary African-born lady to personal an MLS crew when she joined the San Diego FC possession group as a membership accomplice in February 2025. “I grew up round my uncles and brother watching matches, and since they’re so loud, I’m pressured to concentrate. I at all times puzzled about having the ability to be within the enterprise of it as a result of it’s a person’s world,” she stated in her Billboard cowl story this 12 months. She works carefully with the Proper to Dream Academy, a youth affiliation soccer academy that began in Ghana has a U.S. department in San Diego. “That’s one thing that piqued my curiosity, having the ability to construct different Africans up, construct different kids up and provides them extra alternatives that they wouldn’t have in any other case seen.”
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Aya Nakamura’s “Djadja” music video turns into the primary video by an African feminine artist to hit one billion YouTube views (2025)
The music video for Aya Nakamura‘s 2018 hit “Djadja” grew to become the primary video by an African feminine artist to hit one billion YouTube views in February 2025. Seven years in the past, shortly after its launch, the music made historical past within the Netherlands by changing into the primary French-language music to hit No. 1 since Édith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien” in 1961.
