PARIS, Nov 30 — As the end of the year approaches, music streaming platforms are looking back at the trends that marked 2023. And, according to Apple Music, people haven’t just been listening to American or European singers. In fact, Apple’s charts reflect a global musical diversity driven by artists from the four corners of the world.

This taste for music from all around the world is reflected in the global ranking of the most searched-for tracks on Shazam, the music recognition app acquired by Apple in 2018. And here, Rema’s Calm Down tops the list.

This Afrobeat song, taken from the artist’s second album, Rave & Roses, helped turn the 23-year-old Nigerian artist into an international phenomenon, especially after he invited American pop star Selena Gomez to lend her vocals to the track. This remixed version became a worldwide hit, which certainly explains why it was so "Shazamed”.

Overall, Apple Music’s 2023 list of the most searched-for tracks on Shazam worldwide features several songs whose performers are neither European nor American. These include the Beninese-Nigerian artist Ayra Starr, who comes ninth with Rush, and South Korea’s Peggy Gou, whose hit (It Goes Like) Nanana ranks 11th.

From Japan to Mexico

If the African continent is producing tracks that are increasingly making their mark in the music charts, Asia is not to be outdone. Data from Apple Music shows that J-pop — a musical sub-genre from Japan — has been particularly popular over the last 12 months. It tops the list for the Top 100 Sing — which ranks the most-played tracks with the Apple Music Sing singalong feature — thanks to the track Idol by the duo Yoasobi.

Idol also comes seventh in the 2023 top 100 list of the most listened-to songs on Apple Music, while another J-Pop track, Subtitle by OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM, ranked tenth. This is the first time that this musical genre straight out of Japan has featured twice in this international ranking.

Apple Music users around the world have also shown a keen interest in Mexican music. Indeed, four tracks hailing from this Spanish-speaking country feature in the global ranking of the most listened-to tracks on the platform. This is a major first. Peso Pluma and Eslabon Armado’s Ella Baila Sola (n°18) even made it into the top 20.

While Apple Music’s various rankings show just how much the music industry is increasingly embracing world musicians, the most popular artist of the year remains American. Unsurprisingly, it’s Taylor Swift. The singer achieved the feat of getting 65 of her tracks into Apple’s Global Daily Top 100 chart in the first 10 months of the year. She also set a new all-time record for the most listens for any artist in a single year on the Apple Music streaming service. — ETX Studio