South African sensation Tyla has been named the number-one Afrobeats artist in the United States for 2025, according to Billboard.
This recognition makes her the first artist ever to hold the top position in consecutive years, having also led the 2024 year-end ranking.
The announcement comes from Billboard’s recently released 2025 year-end charts, which highlighted Tyla’s remarkable presence on the U.S. Afrobeats scene. Her success is credited to 11 chart entries over the course of the year, showcasing her consistent impact.
Notable among these was her collaboration with Nigerian superstar Wizkid, Dynamite, which reached No. 2 on the weekly charts. Her solo effort, Mr. Media, also performed strongly, peaking at No. 8.
Tyla’s dominance extended to the songs chart, where her 2025 release Shake It to the Max (Fly) was recognized as the year’s top Afrobeats track in the U.S. Meanwhile, her global breakout hit Water, which first propelled her to fame in 2023, continued to resonate with listeners, landing at No. 2 on the year-end song rankings.
The year-end artist list also highlighted the enduring strength of Nigerian talent, which claimed eight of the top ten positions. Wizkid followed Tyla at No. 2, joined by Rema, Burna Boy, Davido, BNXN, Asake, Shallipopi, and Seyi Vibez. Ghanaian star Moliy completed the top ten, illustrating the pan-African reach of the genre.
“Tyla takes first place on the 2025 U.S. Afrobeats Artists year-end chart, defending her title from 2024 and becoming the first act to repeat the feat,” Billboard noted in its analysis.
This accolade comes after another milestone for Afrobeats on Billboard earlier in the year. In August, the publication recognized Nigerian legend 2Baba, naming his 2004 classic African Queen as the greatest Afrobeats song of all time. Billboard described the track as “a love letter to a generation of women from the continent,” celebrating its timeless lyrics and iconic music video that solidified its cultural impact.
