Nigerians lead Sub-Saharan Africa, streaming their heartbreak away in the month of love

Valentine's Day in Nigeria might look a little different than expected. While love songs undoubtedly fill the air, Spotify data reveals a surprising trend: a massive surge in heartbreak song streams. Forget candlelit dinners; Nigerians are turning to their playlists to process their emotions, with a staggering 626% overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024. This Valentine's, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it's louder than ever before.

The Songs That Defined Nigerian Heartbreak

One heartbreak that Nigerians collectively mourned was the tragic passing of street pop artiste Mohbad. It’s no surprise that the data shows that on Valentine’s Day in 2024, Egwu by Chike and Mohbad ranked among the top three most-streamed songs by Nigerians. Other tracks that topped the charts include “One Love - Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By The Film” by Wizkid ranking at number one and Shallipopi and Odumodublvck’s “Cast” at number three. 

In 2023, Omah Lay’s deeply emotional song “Soso”, a melancholic cry for relief from pain, was among the top three most streamed songs on Valentine’s Day. It was joined by j-hope's "Arson" and Ayra Starr’s “Sability”. 

Heartbreak at 9 AM? 

While one might assume listening to heartbreak music would peak at night, a period known for deep reflection, Spotify data reveals otherwise. It turns out that Nigerians listen to heartbreak songs most often between 9 AM and 11 AM. For three years, heartbreak music has been a surprising part of Nigerians’ morning routine. Whether it's a lingering breakup or a heavy heart, offices, cubicles and workspaces in Nigeria are filled with people working, headphones on, starting their day tuned into heartbreak songs and quietly processing their emotions.

Nigerian men stream more heartbreak songs on Valentine’s Day—by a wide margin

There’s a common belief that women are more expressive about heartbreak but Spotify data tells a different story when it comes to music consumption. On Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362% increase compared to 169% among women. 

This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear—when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected. While Valentine's Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day - more than what’s publicly shown.

Whether you are in love or heartbroken, Spotify’s got you covered!  Check out 100 Best African Love Songs and End In Tears playlists on Spotify.