10 Most watched YouTube music videos in Kenya for 2022
YouTube has today released a list of the most watched videos in Kenya indicating a positive shift in consumption of Kenyan-made content.
The bar on the greatest hits ever streamed continues to rise higher than ever as artists across the continent continue to release banger after banger and invest heavily in the sounds and visuals of their art.
With Afrobeats continually proving to be a top-tier music genre in the industry and a force to be reckoned with at that, artists, both in Kenya and other countries are being given a run for their money as the global music scene continues to be dominated by African heat.
Also read: Instagramer Michael Gumo admits dad’s political status helped in his nomination by Sakaja
The thriving music and entertainment industry has also given rise to the release of major songs that have rocked streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Audiomack, and Boomplay in 2022.
Without batting an eyelid, anyone would agree that Nigerian pop artists dominate the music conversations in sub-Saharan Africa, with groundbreaking streaming numbers and major collaborations with international counterparts.
With the inauguration of an Afrobeats-dedicated segment on America’s Billboard Charts, music has evolved into an acute cutthroat industry with more record labels now standing a greater chance to tilt toward global relevance.
Also read: TikToker’s explanation of how M-Pesa transaction codes are generated stirs Kenyans online
On the ride to global music acclaim and continental recognition, Afrobeat leads the pack with its unusual emo pulses, street vibes, amapiano, and a slick blend of hip hop.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the top YouTube videos in 2022. Listed in order, the songs include;
- Rema – Calm Down
In November 2022, Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ recorded another milestone after it earned a Gold certification after selling 25,000 copies in Italy. After performing in a show in Italy, Rema was presented with a Gold plaque by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) for his single ‘Calm Down’.
The song was released in March 2022 as a lead single to Rema’s debut album ‘Raves & Roses’. Since its release, the single has enjoyed wide acclaim from fans and it was further boosted by a Selena Gomez remix.
After his show in Brixton Arena London, Rema revealed that ‘Calm Down’ has surpassed 1 billion streams across all platforms.
Also read: 7 ways to protect your phone while shopping online
- Otile Brown X Harmonize – Woman
Otile Brown’s hit single ‘Woman’ featuring Tanzanian star Harmonize hit 1 million views within just 48 hours of its release.
- Willy Paul – Toto
‘Toto’ was released in January 2022, and has since managed to garner over 9.3 million views.
- The Ben Ft Diamond Platnumz – Why
Rwandan singer The Ben teamed up with his label boss and multiple award-winning Tanzanian bongo Flava recording artiste, Diamond Platnumz to unlock this masterpiece. The song has received a great reception from both artistes’ fans with viewership currently resting at 15 million on the video streaming platform.
Also read: Watch: I get very lethal DMs, temptation very serious – Babu Owino on his private messages
- Diamond Platnumz Ft Zuchu – Mtasubiri
Released in March, the song by the now acclaimed Tanzanian celebrity couple caused a lot of stir online after they shared a sensual moment in the music video which left their fans with a lot to say.
The Mtasubiri video has set a new history in Chibu Dangote and Zuchu’s music career after clocking over 100K views within 37 minutes of being uploaded on YouTube.
The video also garnered over 204K views within one hour and currently, it has accumulated over 800K views in just 14 hours.
- Zuchu – Mwambieni
Tanzanian songbird and songwriter, Zuchu released this work of art that her fans have described as nothing short of a masterpiece.
‘Mwambieni’ owes production credit to Mr Lg. The song title is birthed from the Swahili origin which literally translates to ‘Tell Him‘. It currently enjoys a streaming record of 14 million views.
- Marioo x Jovial – Mi Amor
The song that turned into a viral TikTok challenge hit. Made especially popular in music streaming platforms by TikTok dancer Moya David, the song has been listed as one of the most listened to and watched tracks on YouTube. The song has garnered over 20 million views on YouTube.
Also read: Fire the makeup artist! Akothee causes an online stir over makeup fail
- Alikiba – Utu
The song commands a viewership of 15 million on YouTube.
- Lil Maina x Ndovu Kuu – Kishash
Kishash has continued to reign on the airwaves with many Kenyan music lovers having the song on repeat. Numbers don’t lie and certainly, this is one for the books.
A collaboration of the upcoming and the already triumphed, Lil Maina and Ndovu Kuu respectively, the club banger has managed to acquire over 5.8 million views on YouTube.
- Camidoh – Sugarcane Remix (Feat. Mayorkun, King Promise & Darkoo)
Having garnered over 43 million views on YouTube, ‘Sugarcane’ has seen a smooth rise in the ranks on music streaming platforms all through the year, 2022. Raving Ghanaian musician, Camidoh links up with Mayorkun, Darkoo, and King Promise to bless the airwaves with the remix to his chart-topping tune captioned; ‘Sugarcane’.
Also, read our top stories today:
WATCH: What happened to Blankets and Wine events? MDQ speaks
Watch: A week in the life of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino