In the first quarter of 2025, Nigerian gospel artists Nathaniel Bassey, Mercy Chinwo, and Moses Bliss made impressive strides in the music streaming scene, ranking among the most-streamed Nigerian acts on YouTube Music.
They not only held their ground but also surpassed some well-known Afrobeats artists in terms of streaming numbers. According to data from Debut Hub, Nathaniel Bassey emerged as the highest-ranked gospel artist, amassing an impressive 52.8 million streams.
Mercy Chinwo, another gospel powerhouse, secured the second spot with 46.4 million streams, while Moses Bliss rounded out the top three with 41.5 million streams. This remarkable achievement highlights the growing influence and appeal of gospel music within the Nigerian music industry, competing fiercely with the dominant Afrobeats genre.
Mercy Chinwo’s breakout song, “Excess Love,” has become one of her defining tracks, reaching an impressive 133 million plays on streaming platforms, which has played a key role in her high rankings. Nathaniel Bassey also experienced massive success with his best-performing songs.
His track “Yahweh Sabaoth” garnered 25 million plays, while “TOBECHUKWU” (featuring Mercy Chinwo Blessed) reached 39 million streams, and “Jesus Iye” accumulated 32 million plays to date.
These songs have cemented his place as one of the leading figures in the gospel music scene, showing that gospel tracks can compete with mainstream genres in terms of popularity and listener engagement.
In terms of rankings, Nathaniel Bassey secured the 13th spot on the top 20 list, Mercy Chinwo followed closely at 17th, and Moses Bliss came in at 19th, surpassing even some notable Afrobeats artists, including BNXN (formerly known as Buju).
This speaks volumes about the rising influence of gospel music, not just within Nigeria but on global streaming platforms as well.
While these gospel artists’ streams are impressive, their success is even more notable when considering how they’ve managed to surpass well-established Afrobeats stars who have traditionally dominated the Nigerian music scene.
Meanwhile, the Afrobeats genre continues to maintain its dominance in the Nigerian music landscape, with artists like Rema, Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Ayra Starr leading the charge. Rema, who has consistently been at the forefront of Afrobeats’ global success, ranked number one in Nigeria in the Q1 2025 rankings.
His hit song “Calm Down,” featuring Selena Gomez, became a global sensation, accumulating a staggering 223 million streams in the first quarter of 2025 alone. The song has now crossed the monumental 2.5 billion plays mark, solidifying Rema’s position as one of the most-streamed Nigerian artists of all time.
Burna Boy followed closely in second place with 171 million streams, continuing his global impact after his Grammy-winning success.
Ayra Starr took third place with 169 million streams, surpassing Davido, who amassed 113 million streams in the same period. Despite his impressive numbers, Davido could not quite catch up to Ayra Starr, who has risen to prominence with her unique sound and international collaborations.
Wizkid, long regarded as one of Afrobeats’ biggest stars, secured the fifth spot with 102 million streams, marking a slight dip compared to previous years.
However, his presence in the top five remains a testament to his enduring appeal in both Nigerian and global markets. Overall, the rankings for Q1 2025 reflect a healthy competition between gospel and Afrobeats music, with both genres finding significant success in the streaming era.
