Deezer SA: Umsebenzi Wethu most streamed song from local artist

This is according to the music streaming service, which recently revealed data on the most music and podcasts that South Africans listened to on Deezer this year.

‘Summeryomuthi’ by SAMA-winning duo Blaq Diamond was the next hit on the list of top tracks from local artists, followed by amapiano heavyweights DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small and Tyler ICU’s ‘Banyana’. Globally, ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd was the most streamed song.

Riaan Benadé’s Spontaan was No 3 on the list of the most streamed albums in South Africa, behind Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and The Weeknd’s After Hours, which claimed the No 1 and 2 spots, respectively. Benadé’s album was also the most listened to project from a local artist and is followed by Makhadzi with her album Kokovha and Blxckie’s B4Now.

Regarding top female artists, Makhadzi came in at No 4 on the list of most streamed artists, with American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift taking the No 1 spot and Billie Eilish and Beyoncé following closely at No 2 and 3, respectively.

As for their male counterparts, DJ Maphorisa was eighth, followed by Kabza De Small at No 9. Globally, Drake was No 1 ahead of Justin Bieber and The Weeknd who claimed the No 2 and 3 spots, respectively.

In terms of podcasts, Podcast and Chill with MacG topped the list of most streamed channels. KnightSA89 – MidTempo Sessions Uploads came in at No 2, followed by DownTown Music at No 3 and the Amapiano Pandemic at No 8.

“Much like the rest of the world, South Africans clearly couldn’t get enough of The Weeknd this year,” Deezer editor for Africa Sotiris Moldovanos said. “Even though his album is nearly two years old, we clearly loved the new wave vibe. I was also impressed to see how well local singer Makhadzi has done this year, competing against global female artists and holding her own in the top five.”

Listen to all the top tracks from 2021 here.