While English and Latin artists continue to dominate the charts, a diverse array of languages is making significant strides on Spotify. Portuguese, Italian, and Hindi, particularly through the burgeoning I-pop (Indian pop) scene, are carving out new spaces. However, it's the French-speaking artists who are leaving the most substantial mark, captivating an increasingly global audience.
The momentum from the Paris Olympics, particularly the closing ceremony, catapulted four French artists—Kavinsky, Phoenix, AIR, and Angèle—to the top of Shazam's most searched songs. Kavinsky's 'Nightcall' set a record as the most Shazamed song in a single day on the app, with 10:50pm on Sunday, 11 August, becoming the most Shazamed minute in history.
New data from Spotify reveals a surge in French-language music streams, up 94% since 2019. Between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024, over 100 million people worldwide—about one-sixth of Spotify's global users—listened to French-language content. North America is enamored with Indila and Les Cowboys Fringants; Aya Nakamura, Indila, and rapper GIMS are leading in the Asia-Pacific region; while R'n'B stars like Tayc, Gazo, Dadju, and Soolking are hugely popular in South Africa and the Middle East. Belgian star Stromae remains a global streaming powerhouse, especially in Latin America.
To date, 39 million Spotify users have added at least one French-language track to their playlists, with over 83 million hours of French-language music streamed in more than 180 countries within a year. The Top 5 most-streamed French-language tracks worldwide include Patrick Watson's 'Je te laisserai des mots' (Canada), Indila's 'Dernière danse' (France), Stromae's 'Alors on danse' (Belgium), Soolking et Gazo's 'Casanova' (France), and Yamé's 'Bécane - A COLORS SHOW' (France).
The international appeal of French-speaking artists can be attributed to the lack of physical constraints, allowing a broader range of music to reach global audiences. Spotify's initiatives like RADAR also play a role. However, the diversity of sounds and the richness of content from hitmakers in France, Quebec, Belgium, and Algeria are key drivers. Bruno Crolot, Spotify's Director of International Music, emphasizes that streaming's technological fluidity enables repertoires to be discovered globally. He also notes that understanding the language is less of a barrier than in the past, suggesting this trend is just the beginning.
Jeremy Erlich, Vice President and Head of Music Content at Spotify, credits French-speaking artists for their collaborative spirit, citing examples like Angèle's duet with Dua Lipa on 'Fever' and Aya Nakamura's collaboration with Stormzy on 'Plus Jamais'.
Here are Spotify's most-streamed French-speaking artists by region: Europe, North America, Latin America, South Africa, Middle East, and Asia, Asia Pacific. If you haven't added any French-speaking artists to your playlists, you're missing out.
