The World Is Yours: New Data Shows Hip-Hop is the Most Listened-To Genre Worldwide.
As part of its “Insights” section, one of the world’s most popular music-streaming services has released a staggering amount of data which seems to prove that Hip-Hop is the world’s most listened-to genre. To reach that conclusion, the company’s number-crunchers examined 20 billion of what it calls “listener/track” relationships in countries as disparate as Canada and Malaysia. In the data’s most interactive feature, a “Musical Map” of the world allows users of the service to explore cities around the globe and the playlists that are most popular throughout. By hovering over the dozens of green dots, one can decipher what folks in São Luís, Brazil are listening to compared to what’s poppin’ in Brisbane, Australia, according to the results of a study published by Spotify.
While it’s true that all of Africa and most of Asia are not included in the study, one would be hard-pressed to argue that the Hip-Hop diaspora has not reached corners of all 7 continents. Furthermore, based on Spotify’s promise to update the map biweekly, it’s possible that the popularity of artists like Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp A Butterfly broke Spotify’s record for most streams in a single day, at 9.6 million) will soon appear in more countries. Of course, factors like accessibility to the internet play a role in why some parts of the world are not included on the map, and Spotify is but one of the many options Heads have when it comes to listening to music.
According to the Top Song by Country map, Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” is the most-listened to song in the United States during the first week of June 2015, while Wiz Khalifa dominates Canada, Chile and Brazil. Those more interested in finding out the most popular tracks in individual cities should head to the Cities of the World map, which shows Heads in Amsterdam are listening to lots of Madlib, for example.
According to the Independent, this data shouldn’t necessarily be taken at face value. They cite things like “the relationship of Hip-Hop labels with Spotify, the inclusivity of the genre, the playlisting of it, the use of Spotify in social settings, and the strong sense of narrative arc on hip hop releases that lead to longer listening sessions” to point to things other than the simple popularity of Hip-Hop as causes for the study’s findings. While certainly structurally sound as counterpoints, many Heads might argue that no other genre has influenced dance, fashion, and language more, all over the world. With much of Hip-Hop culture transplanting itself into the African diaspora as well as on the continent itself, would including Africa in the study only make Hip-Hop’s numbers stronger?
Related: Scientists Show Proof Hip-Hop Has Revolutionized Music the Most Since 1960 (News)