Three of Nigeria’s leading gospel artists—Nathaniel Bassey, Mercy Chinwo, and Moses Bliss—have made a significant breakthrough on the international music scene, appearing for the first time among the most-streamed Nigerian artists on YouTube Music for Q1 2025.
Data from music analytics platform Debut Hub shows Nathaniel Bassey leading the trio with 52.8 million streams from January to March 2025. Mercy Chinwo followed with 46.4 million streams, while Moses Bliss garnered 41.5 million, marking a major achievement for gospel music in Nigeria.
Mercy Chinwo’s timeless hit “Excess Love” continues to strike a chord with listeners around the world, amassing an impressive 133 million total streams. Nathaniel Bassey also maintains strong momentum with standout tracks such as “Yahweh Sabaoth” (25 million streams), “TOBECHUKWU” featuring Mercy Chinwo (39 million), and “Jesus Iye” (32 million), reflecting his enduring appeal. While gospel music is gaining global traction, Afrobeats star Rema remains at the forefront, topping the charts with a massive 223 million streams in the first quarter of 2025. His global smash “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez has now exceeded 2.5 billion views, reinforcing his superstar status. Other major Nigerian acts making waves include Burna Boy (171M), Ayra Starr (169M), Davido (113M), and Wizkid (102M), highlighting the wide-ranging influence of Nigerian music across various genres.
Here are the 20 Most-Streamed Nigerian Artists on YouTube Music for the First Quarter of 2025:
The presence of gospel artists on this largely Afrobeats-driven list signals an increasing global interest in spiritually inspiring Nigerian music, ushering in a fresh era for the nation’s rich and varied musical exports.
1. Rema – 223M
2. Burna Boy – 171M
3. Ayra Starr – 169M
4. Davido – 113M
5. Wizkid – 102M
6. Omah Lay – 96.7M
7. Kizz Daniel – 67.9M
8. Ruger – 65.7M
9. CKay – 64.6M
10. Asake – 63.4M
11. Tems – 60.4M
12. Fireboy DML – 59.1M
13. Nathaniel Bassey – 52.8M
14. Oxlade – 52.4M
15. Tekno – 50.8M
16. Mercy Chinwo – 46.4M
17. Tiwa Savage – 45.3M
18. Victony – 42.5M
19. Moses Bliss – 41.5M
20. BNXN – 41M
