-
Nathaniel Bassey, Mercy Chinwo, Moses Bliss, Others Surpass Afrobeats Artists Break Into YouTube’s Top Nigerian Acts in 2025 Q1
In a remarkable turn of events, Nigerian gospel artists Nathaniel Bassey, Mercy Chinwo, and Moses Bliss have broken into the mainstream spotlight, securing spots among the most-streamed Nigerian musicians on YouTube Music in the first quarter of 2025—surpassing several Afrobeats heavyweights.
According to data from Debut Hub, Nathaniel Bassey led the gospel charge with a staggering 52.8 million streams, placing him at No. 13 overall.
Mercy Chinwo followed closely at No. 17 with 46.4 million streams, while Moses Bliss earned the No. 19 spot with 41.5 million—edging out Afrobeats sensation BNXN.
Mercy Chinwo’s timeless anthem “Excess Love” continues to resonate, now boasting 133 million lifetime streams. Nathaniel Bassey’s spiritual hits also shine, with “TOBECHUKWU” (featuring Mercy Chinwo Blessed) racking up 39 million streams, “Jesus Iye” gathering 32 million, and “Yahweh Sabaoth” amassing 25 million.
While the gospel stars are making waves, afrobeats remains dominant. Rema topped the Q1 chart as the most-streamed artist in Nigeria, thanks in large part to the ongoing success of “Calm Down,” featuring Selena Gomez, which hit a historic 2.5 billion plays globally and added another 223 million streams this quarter alone.
Burna Boy followed with 171 million streams, while Ayra Starr clinched third with 169 million—outpacing Davido, who recorded 113 million streams. Wizkid rounded out the top five with 102 million.
This new gospel breakthrough highlights the growing influence and reach of Nigerian faith-based music, proving that spiritual sounds are not just resonating locally but competing on a national stage alongside the country’s biggest pop exports.