Alors on danse...
Across music, podcasts, and audiobooks, more Spotify listeners are turning toward French-language content. The likes of Stromae, Indila and Aya Nakamura are seducing wider audiences and crossing borders like never before. English-speaking and Latin artists may still dominate the charts, but many other languages are making a strong impression on Spotify.
Portuguese, Italian and Hindi, especially the latter through the growing phenomenon of I-pop (Indian pop), are breaking new ground. However, it’s French-speaking artists that are making the biggest mark, winning over an ever-growing worldwide audience. Hardly surprising coming off the bat of the , with the closing ceremony propelling four French artists – Kavinsky, Phoenix, AIR and Angèle - to the .
Kavinsky’s ‘Nightcall’ became the song to be Shazamed the most times in a single day on the famous music recognition app, and 10:50pm on Sunday 11 August was the most Shazamed minute in history. Not half bad. Now, we have additional numbers which speak for themselves, as digital music service Spotify has unveiled new data regarding listening habits.
Since 2019, French-language music streams have surged by 94%, and between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024, over 100 million people worldwide - around one-sixth of Spotify's global users - listened to French-language content on the platform. North America loves French singer Indila and Les Cowboys Fringants; Aya Nakamura, Indila and rapper GIMS are dominating.