Spotify Data Reveals Nigerians Stream Heartbreak Songs More Than Love Songs on Valentine’s Day, with Men Leading the Trend
Valentine’s Day is traditionally a celebration of love, romance, and grand gestures. However, new data from Spotify reveals that for many Nigerians, the day is more about heartbreak than heartwarming moments.
Between 2022 and 2024, streams of heartbreak songs in Nigeria surged by an astonishing 626 percent, making the country the leading consumer of emotional ballads in Sub-Saharan Africa during the season of love.
Candlelit Dinners to Heartbreak Playlists
Rather than indulging in romantic dinners, many Nigerians are turning to music to navigate the highs and lows of love. Spotify’s latest data suggests that heartbreak-themed songs dominate playlists, offering solace to those dealing with lost love or unspoken emotions.
Mohbad’s Influence on Heartbreak Soundtracks
One of Nigeria’s most defining heartbreak moments in recent years was the tragic passing of street pop artiste Mohbad. This was reflected in Spotify’s 2024 Valentine’s Day data, where ‘Egwu’ by Chike and Mohbad ranked among the top three most-streamed songs in Nigeria.
Leading the heartbreak anthems was ‘One Love – Bob Marley, while Shallipopi and Odumodublvck’s ‘Cast’ secured third place.
In 2023, Omah Lay’s deeply emotional track ‘Soso’ dominated Valentine’s Day streams. Other popular heartbreak songs included j-hope’s ‘Arson’ and Ayra Starr’s ‘Sability,’ proving that Nigerians lean into heartbreak melodies as much as, if not more than, love songs during this period.
DATA: Heartbreak Peaks Between 9AM and 11AM
Surprisingly, Nigerians aren’t waiting for lonely nights to drown in their heartbreak playlists. Spotify data shows that heartbreak songs peak in streams between 9 AM and 11 AM—contradicting the notion that emotional music is reserved for late-night reflections.
For three consecutive years, this trend has remained consistent, suggesting that rather than starting their mornings with upbeat tunes, many Nigerians prefer heartbreak songs to process emotions as they begin their workday. Offices, cubicles, and workspaces quietly echo with the sounds of heartache as people tune into music that mirrors their feelings.
Men Stream More Heartbreak Songs Than Women
One of the most surprising insights from the data is that Nigerian men stream heartbreak songs on Valentine’s Day at a significantly higher rate than women.
Male listeners recorded a 362% increase in heartbreak song streams, compared to 169% among female listeners. This challenges the common belief that women are more expressive about heartbreak, suggesting that men may be using music as a private outlet to process their emotions.
Heartbreak is in the Air
While Valentine’s Day remains a symbol of love, Spotify’s data tells a different story, one where heartbreak is just as prevalent. Whether Nigerians are healing from breakups, reminiscing about lost love, or simply resonating with the depth of these emotional songs, one thing is clear: when love is in the air, so is heartbreak.
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