With lots of smash hits to choose from, many Afrobeats musicians have been nothing short of phenomenal these past few years.
The refreshing tunes and video projects continue to gain recognition worldwide, and as this year reaches its peak, we take a look at some of the top five artistes with the biggest following on YouTube as of November 2023.
Diamond Platnumz – 8.38 million
Top on the list is Tanzanian Afrobeats singer Diamond Platnumz with 8.38 million subscribers. The dancer and singer is known for irresistible records, as listeners do not have to understand his language to jam to his songs.
For instance, his Afrobeats banger Birthday, released sometime in October, incorporates Amapiano instrumentals and comes out as a tune that will liven up any party. It is therefore not surprising that millions of music enthusiasts are following him at the moment on the world’s biggest video streaming platform.
The award-winning musician is one of Africa’s Afrobeats and Amapiano pillars who has over the years demonstrated the limitless dynamics of the genres, blending the various styles to create lasting impressions on quality music.
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The 34-year-old has been on the music scene since 2010, stamping his authority in the Tanzanian Bongo Flava and other emerging music trends. His repertoire includes Shu, Gidi, and many others.
Rayvanny – 4.74 million
Raymond Shaban, known by his stage name Rayvanny, is another Tanzanian musician with a huge following of 4.74 million on YouTube currently. The songwriter and recording artiste is one of the most successful Bongo Flava musicians in Tanzania from the Mbeya region.
He is the founder and CEO of Next Level Music and is best known for his song Kwetu, which introduced him to the world. In 2017, Rayvanny was mentioned by MTV Base among the “Acts to look out for.”
He holds the record as the first Tanzanian to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA), and also as the first Tanzanian to reach 100 Million streams on the streaming platform, Boomplay. Rayvanny is also the only Tanzanian artiste to have won a BET Award.
With these grand achievements, it is not surprising that fans consider him one of the favorites on YouTube.
Burna Boy – 4.5 million
Grammy-nominated Burna Boy needs no introduction. His Love, Damini, album was recently certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and he is competing in the three different categories at the 2024 Grammys.
With songs like Last Last, It’s Plenty, Common Person, Wonderful, and many others; the 30-year-old remains an African Giant in the industry and continues to be the reference point for lovers of Afrobeats.
As the third most subscribed artiste with 4.5 million followers on YouTube, the figures are only a snippet of his global dominance and influence. He is billed to perform at the Mercedez-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany on December 9, 2023.
Harmonize – 4.3 million
Another inspiring performer, Tanzanian act, Harmonize, took home the Artiste of the Year and the award for Best Music Video at the recently held 2023 African Entertainment Awards.
Harmonize, born Rajabu Abdul Kahali, has been on the music scene since 2010 and mixes East African Bongo Flava and catchy Afro-pop as his style. He has the fourth-highest subscription on YouTube with 4.3 million followers.
He debuted in 2015 with Aiyola, a sunny and melodic single which he followed up in 2016 with Bado, his first collaboration with fellow Tanzanian Diamond Platnumz. The song earned him a WatsUp Africa Music Video Award for Best African Newcomer Video.
He launched his debut Extended Play (EP) and record label, Konde Music in 2018 and went ahead to collaborate with artistes including Sheebah, Eddy Kenzo, and Phyno, before delivering his debut full-length album, Afro East, in 2020.
Ckay – 3.9 million
Love Nwantiti hitmaker and Nigerian sensation Ckay currently has 3.9 million subscriptions on YouTube. His international hit single Love Nwantiti, released in 2019, debuted at No.1 following the launch of the Billboard Afrobeats chart.
He started off his music career as a member of a band before going solo. In 2022, he released the album Sad Romance with singles including Emiliana.
His accolades include the Brit Awards for Love Nwantiti, the Global Music Awards Africa, The Future Awards Africa, and many others.