10 African Artists Whose Songs Became Global Internet Trends

African music has repeatedly crossed borders through TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and streaming platforms. In several cases, songs that were already released for months or years found a completely different audience after becoming sounds for dances, challenges, memes and short videos.

Here are 10 African artists whose songs became major internet trends.

1. CKay — Love Nwantiti

Nigerian singer CKay released “Love Nwantiti” in 2019, but its biggest breakthrough came later through TikTok.

TikTok documented how the song spread through challenges and user-created videos in 2021, turning a previously released track into an international hit. The song eventually passed one billion Spotify streams, according to the United Nations’ Africa Renewal publication.

2. Master KG — Jerusalema

South African producer Master KG and vocalist Nomcebo Zikode turned “Jerusalema” into one of the most recognisable African internet songs of the early 2020s.

The #JerusalemaDanceChallenge spread internationally, with people posting coordinated dances from different countries. Reuters reported in 2020 that thousands of people from places including Brazil and Sweden had participated in videos connected to the song.

3. Rema — Calm Down

Nigerian singer Rema’s “Calm Down” became a worldwide streaming phenomenon after its 2022 release and later remix with Selena Gomez.

Spotify reported that the track became the first song led by an African artist to enter its Billions Club after passing one billion streams. Spotify also reported that major listening markets included the United States, India, Mexico, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

4. Tyla — Water

South African singer Tyla’s “Water” became closely associated with a viral dance on TikTok.

The song subsequently moved from social-media popularity into major international chart success. Billboard reported that the track reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

5. Oxlade — Ku Lo Sa

Nigerian singer Oxlade’s “Ku Lo Sa” became an international internet hit after a TikTok dance helped push the song beyond its original audience.

TikTok reported that the trend involved users in more than 50 countries and generated millions of videos, billions of views and hundreds of millions of likes.

6. Wizkid — Essence

Wizkid’s “Essence”, featuring Tems, became one of the defining Afrobeats crossover songs of the early 2020s.

Released in 2020, the track became an international hit and was the first Nigerian song to chart on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200. Its popularity was also amplified by social-media sharing and celebrity attention.

7. Tems — Free Mind

Tems’ “Free Mind” became a major online discovery after its original release on her 2020 EP.

The song gained renewed attention through social media, including TikTok, before reaching major U.S. chart milestones. It eventually reached No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart and No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100.

8. Fireboy DML — Peru

Nigerian singer Fireboy DML’s “Peru” became an international hit before receiving an even wider audience through its version featuring Ed Sheeran.

Spotify records the song as one of Fireboy DML’s biggest tracks, with the Ed Sheeran version exceeding 400 million Spotify streams. The song also reached No. 2 on the UK Official Singles Chart according to Spotify’s artist biography.

9. Kizz Daniel — Buga

Nigerian artist Kizz Daniel’s “Buga” became one of the prominent African songs on TikTok in 2022.

TikTok’s music charts placed “Buga” among the platform’s leading songs in France that year, alongside other globally popular sounds. The song’s dance-friendly structure helped it travel well beyond its original Nigerian audience.

10. Yemi Alade — Johnny

Yemi Alade’s “Johnny” shows that African internet-driven music success did not begin with TikTok.

Released in 2013, the Nigerian singer’s song became popular across several African countries and later accumulated a large international YouTube audience. By April 2026, its official video had passed 180 million YouTube views.

The common thread is not one particular genre. Afrobeats, amapiano and African pop have travelled through different internet cultures, from dance challenges to streaming playlists. The internet has also changed the life cycle of songs. A track can be released, remain relatively quiet and then suddenly become one of the most recognisable sounds online months or even years later.