Even though secular music is still super popular among Gen Z, there’s a growing popularity of them listening to gospel music too. This might be because Gen Z is looking for comfort, meaning in life, and a connection to something bigger than themselves in a world that feels unpredictable.
This trend is creating a cool online space filled with gospel music and spiritual exploration for young Nigerians. Let’s look at 4 key things Spotify data shows us about this trend.
1. The digital rise in gospel music
The popularity of gospel music is surging on streaming services, especially among young Nigerians. Streams of gospel music on Spotify by Gen Z listeners in Nigeria have grown by 1228% between 2022 and 2024!
This massive increase suggests that this generation is finding meaning and connection in the world of contemporary gospel music.
2. Increase in the consumption of gospel podcasts
Young Nigerians are going beyond just listening to music online. There’s been a huge increase in interest in Christian podcasts on Spotify. Streams by Gen Z listeners in Nigeria have grown by 482% between 2022 and 2024.
This shows that Gen Z isn’t moving away from religion online; they’re actively looking for faith-based content.
These podcasts offer more than just catchy tunes; they provide sermons, discussions, and spiritual guidance for a generation seeking something more meaningful.
3. Increase in the curation of gospel playlists
Gen Zs aren’t just listening to gospel music; they’re actively using it to explore their faith in a way that feels personal to them. This goes way beyond just hitting play.
There’s a huge trend of Gen Z Nigerians creating their own gospel playlists on Spotify—over 140,000 of them! These playlists are like personalised soundtracks for their faith journeys.
They pick songs that resonate with their own beliefs and how their faith is growing and changing. It’s a cool way to see how Gen Z is using music to explore their spirituality on their own terms.
4. Increase in the consumption of gospel-based content on Sundays
This interest in gospel music and podcasts isn’t just on a whim. Streaming data shows a clear trend: listening to gospel music and podcasts spikes on Sundays. This is especially in the mornings between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
This could be because Gen Z is using these online resources as part of their Sunday routine. But it’s not just a Sunday thing! Tuesdays and Fridays also see a noticeable increase in gospel content consumption.
This suggests that Gen Z is fitting faith-based content into their online lives throughout the week, and not just on weekends.
What does this mean for gospel music in Nigeria?
All this shows that gospel music and faith-based content are becoming more and more popular, and not just at church.
And because this trend is being driven by young people who are always online, we can expect that faith will reflect more and more in everyday life.
This could mean seeing religious themes popping up in things like fashion, art, and even what people talk about on social media.
