As the time of day and seasons change so do our music tastes. This is what a 2019 Cornell University led study revealed. The results suggest that people prefer to listen to more relaxing music during the colder seasons. This year, however, social distancing caused people to spend more time indoors and with more people homebound and looking for comfort and entertainment. Entertainment came in the form of music – many local artists and DJs hosted live, virtual performances on their social media platforms and broadcast channels to inspire, entertain and motivate audiences.
As South Africans ease out a chilly, wet winter, which boasted one of the coldest days in four years for Gauteng, Spotify revealed the top tracks that South Africans were streaming over the recent winter months.
The top streamed track between 1 June – 15 August in South Africa was ROCKSTAR by DaBaby (featuring Roddy Ricch), which matched global streaming trends over the period. With more than 380 million streams globally, the track has been a mainstay on Spotify’s global chart and is one of the year’s most played songs on Spotify’s popular RapCaviar playlist. The track’s soaring success is certainly not lost on DaBaby himself; “I knew ROCKSTAR was going to be a HIT while I was creating the record,” the rapper told Spotify. “But to watch the world make it into a GLOBAL HIT is an Amazing Feeling. GOD IS GREAT!”
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” was the second most-streamed song locally followed by upbeat jam – and a popular addition to workout playlists on Spotify – “Roses – Imanbek Remix” by SAINt JHN.
Most streamed songs in South Africa (based on streams from 1 June – 15 August 2020):
- “ROCKSTAR” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
- “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
- “Roses – Imanbek Remix” by SAINt JHN
- “Toosie Slide” by Drake
- “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown
- “Blueberry Faygo” by Lil Mosey
- “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” by Jason Derulo, Jwash 685
- “The Box” by Roddy Ricch
- “Party Girl” by StaySolidRocky
- “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles
#SpotifySouthAfrica – Facebook: @Spotify |Twitter: @SpotifySA | Instagram: @spotify
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*As at July 2020