Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy: Still Kings or is Gen Z building new thrones?

By Aaron Anthony ( YolyBoy ),
Entertainment & Society Editor

In a world where Afrobeats has gone global, the throne is getting crowded.
For years, Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy have reigned supreme, dropping hits, setting trends, and leading the Nigerian music export.

But Gen Z is a different kind of audience. They stream faster, post louder, cancel quicker, and crown new icons in seconds.
Now the question is louder than ever:
Are the “Big 3” still kings, or are rising stars like Asake, Rema, Ayra Starr, and Omah Lay already sitting on new thrones?

Who’s Winning?
When it comes to numbers, Wizkid still leads in total streams with over 6.5 billion plays on Spotify, more than any Nigerian artist in history. Davido follows with about 4.5 billion, and Burna Boy, though more recent to global stardom, holds steady with 2.5 billion and counting.

But when you zoom in on who Gen Z is streaming, the results flip. According to Spotify Nigeria, the top artists for Gen Z include:
 Burna Boy (ranked #1 overall)
 Asake (ranked #2)
 Davido (still hot at #3)
 Rema (a consistent viral force)
 Wizkid (slipping to #5 in Gen Z charts)
Wizkid may be the GOAT in terms of impact, but Gen Z seems to be gravitating more toward artists who are energetic, accessible, and constantly in their face.

Relevance vs. Legacy
Wizkid has become something of a minimalist icon — reserved, quiet, and mysterious. While this gives
him an air of royalty, Gen Z is a generation that values presence, content, interaction, and chaos.

Wizkid’s silence sometimes feels like an absence to them.

Davido, on the other hand, is ever-present. He engages fans directly, drops albums consistently, and maintains one of the most loyal fan bases in Africa. But critics argue he’s more loved for his personality than his evolution, and that his sound hasn’t always adapted with time.

Burna Boy hits differently. He blends traditional, pan-African influences with Gen Z’s need for rebellion, identity, and pride. His boldness, Grammy wins, and Gen Z-heavy stage energy are exactly what this younger audience craves. In recent polls, 58% of Nigerian Gen Z voters chose Burna as their most
influential artist.

Still, Gen Z isn’t stopping with Burna.
Gen Z’s Takeover Artists
Asake, with his Fuji-infused beats and wild music videos, has hacked virality. He knows how to make a moment, and Gen Z lives for moments.

Rema, a fashion-forward hybrid of Afro-pop and trap, is now performing on global stages like the Ballon d’Or, entering fashion shows, and partnering with brands like Nike.

Ayra Starr has cracked the global space with her Gen Z-style feminism, youth appeal, and genreblending. And Omah Lay, with his moody sonic texture, speaks directly to the emotional soul of Nigeria’s
youngest music heads.

These new artists aren’t just trying to be superstars; they were born into virality. Their sound is crafted for TikTok, their rollout plans are digital-first, and they speak the language of speed and relevance.

Real Talk: Who’s the Real King?
The old guard still has their seat, Wizkid for global reach, Davido for consistency and culture, and Burna Boy for influence and power.

But the Gen Z newcomers? They’re digitally native, globally aware, and sonically fearless. They’re not just climbing the throne, they’re building new ones entirely, in spaces the Big 3 didn’t need to dominate before (TikTok, Snapchat, Threads, Reels, AI-based platforms).

This is no longer a battle of icons versus underdogs. It’s a generational shift in real time.

Davido, Wizkid, and Burna Boy didn’t lose their crowns; they helped build the kingdom. But every kingdom must evolve.

Right now, they still rule, but the heirs are no longer waiting to be chosen. They’re building new palaces, with WiFi thrones and fanbases that move at the speed of a trend.

For now, the throne room remains shared. The old kings still wear the crowns, but the Gen Z lions are circling. They’re louder, leaner, and growing more organized by the stream, by the post, by the beat drop.

And if history has taught us anything, every king gets challenged.