Black Sherif has tightened his grip on Ghana’s digital music scene, ending the year as the country’s most-streamed artist across major platforms and posting a level of dominance rarely seen in the industry.
Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped data places him at No. 1 on every major chart category in Ghana, with his album Iron Boy leading as the most streamed body of work and his breakout single Sacrifice ranking as the most played song of the year. Nine of the country’s ten most-streamed tracks on Spotify belong to him, a sweep that industry analysts describe as unprecedented.
Apple Music’s year-end chart tells a similar story. Songs from Iron Boy occupy the first twelve positions on the Ghana rankings, consolidating his status as the country’s defining voice of 2025.
Black Sherif’s rise has been fuelled by a combination of strong storytelling, an evolving sonic palette rooted in drill and highlife influences, and a loyal young audience that keeps his catalogue in constant rotation. His streaming success this year also builds on momentum from 2024, when he broke into several international playlists and festival circuits.
Although Black Sherif towers over the rankings, several Ghanaian artists have also enjoyed strong streaming numbers. Kweku Smoke is ranked second on Spotify’s most-streamed artists list, buoyed by a steady run of singles and collaborations. Sarkodie, Kwesi Arthur and Shatta Wale follow closely, maintaining their positions as long-standing favourites with broad national appeal.
On the global front, Ghanaian-American singer Moliy recorded one of the country’s most exported songs of 2025, signalling the continued reach of Ghana-rooted pop and alternative sounds in markets outside West Africa.
The year’s streaming patterns point to a music landscape where younger acts are pushing new genres to the forefront while established names retain significant clout. But 2025 ultimately belongs to Black Sherif, whose dominance on both Spotify and Apple Music underscores a rare alignment between local demand, cultural relevance and digital reach.
If you want, I can produce a sidebar profile on Black Sherif’s rise or a data breakdown comparing this year’s charts with last year’s.
