Gospel outgrew drill among Kenya’s young listeners as Nairobi’s Gen Z shapes a multi-genre listening culture, new Spotify data reveals.
New Spotify listening data from Nairobi shows that young people aged 18 to 24 are driving the city’s music scene, accounting for 53.7% of all streams in June 2026. This gives Nairobi the highest share of Gen Z listeners compared with other African cities analysed, including Lagos (44.4%) and Johannesburg (29.9%).
The findings show that Nairobi’s young listeners are not following just one music trend. Instead, they are exploring different sounds from Kenya, Africa, and around the world, creating a diverse and changing music culture.
According to the data, several music genres grew strongly among Kenya’s 18–24-year-old listeners:
- Dancehall recorded the biggest growth, increasing by 95% compared with the previous year.
- Bongo flava grew by 75%, showing stronger musical connections between Kenya and Tanzania.
- Gengetone, Nairobi’s homegrown sound, increased by 48%.
- Gospel grew by 37%, around six times faster than drill, which grew by 6%.
- Amapiano continued to gain popularity, growing by 34% as the South African sound spreads across East Africa.
- Other popular genres also saw growth, including R&B (28%), Afrobeats (25%), and afropop (21%).
The data also highlights changing tastes among Nairobi’s young listeners. Some older or more traditional genres, including deep house, jazz, classic country, and rumba congolaise, are less popular among Gen Z compared with the wider listening population.
Nairobi’s Gen Z listens throughout the day
Young Nairobi listeners stream music at different times of the day, with listening increasing from midday into the evening. The most popular hour among 18–24-year-olds is 12pm, while 6pm is the busiest listening time across all age groups.
Between 10am and 4pm, which includes school, work, and study hours, Gen Z accounts for 39.7% of daily listening. Evening listening between 5pm and 10pm contributes another 30.5%.
Even late at night, between 2am and 5am, young listeners remain highly active, making up 55% of all streams in Nairobi during those hours.
Beyond music, Nairobi’s Gen Z is also showing strong interest in podcasts. Their podcast listening share is 2.5 times higher than Lagos and 1.7 times higher than Johannesburg. Popular podcast categories include Arts, Society & Culture, Comedy, and Health & Fitness.
Spotify says the upcoming Greasy Tunes Nairobi programme will showcase how young Kenyans experience music and culture across different spaces.
“Greasy Tunes Nairobi brings the data to life by showing how young Kenyans actually listen: across genres, across formats, and across the social moments that shape the city,” said Agnes Opondo, Artist and Label Partnerships, East Africa at Spotify.
About Greasy Tunes Nairobi
Greasy Tunes Nairobi will run from 15 to 26 July 2026 at Heltz House, Nairobi. The 12-day event will combine music, food, fashion, sport, comedy, podcasts, and community activities.
The programme will include live performances, the Fresh Finds emerging artist showcase, Nakili Sessions, Gospel and Alt Night, football watch-party experiences, food events with Jikoni Studios, podcast recordings with Mic Cheque and 30 Per Cent Pod, and a closing music panel discussion.
The event aims to celebrate Nairobi’s growing influence as a cultural centre where music is not only streamed but also experienced through shared moments and communities.