Nairobi News

When Sauti Sol announced in 2023 that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus from music after 18 years together to focus on their solo music careers instead, the news didn’t sit well with the masses, if social media reactions are anything to go by.
Many felt that the hiatus marked the end of one of the most outstanding musical acts in Kenyan history.
It turns out the decision was a blessing in disguise for their lead singer, Bien Aime Baraza.
According to the Swedish audio streaming platform Spotify Wrapped 2024 an annual report, Bien is the top artist in Kenya this year.
Bien’s incredible journey as a solo artist has resonated with fans across the country, and despite his break from Sauti Sol, he has continued to create authentic Afropop hits that have topped the Kenyan charts.
He was the most streamed Kenyan artist of the year, unseating hip-hop group Wakadinali, who was the most streamed artist in the country in 2023. This year, the hip-hop group is in second place. In 2023, Bien was number three on Spotify Wrapped.
Sauti Sol, who were second last year, dropped to third in 2024 despite their hiatus, indicating their continued popularity in the Kenyan music space. Bensoul held on to fourth place for the second year in a row, while rapper Lil Maina, who was number 10 in 2023, jumped to number five this year. Rapper Nyashinki dropped one position from fifth to sixth this year.
Okello Max, known for his rhumba flavor in his music, made his first appearance on the list of the most streamed artists in Kenya at number seven. Chris Kaiga is also another new entry in the top ten coming in at number eight. Nviiri The StoryTeller who was number six last year drops to number nine in 2024 and Otile Brown who was number eight in 2023 rounds off the top ten list in 2024.
In contrast to 2023, when there was only one female musician, Nikita Kering, at number nine, there were none this year.