Spotify has named Nigerian-British artist DEELA as its EQUAL Africa artist of the month, adding her to the platform’s rolling spotlight for women artists across the continent, according to a statement distributed on behalf of Spotify by Irvine Partners.

The selection positions DEELA for increased algorithmic and editorial exposure on Spotify’s Africa-facing properties at a time when music streaming is a key route to discovery, monetisation and cross-border audiences for artists in Kenya and the wider region.

Spotify said DEELA has built momentum through releases spanning rap, hip-hop and Afro-influenced sounds. The company highlighted her 2025 album Wicked and pointed to tracks including “Slide” and “Why Always Me?” as part of the work underpinning the latest recognition.

The statement also outlined DEELA’s background, saying she was born in Lagos and raised between Nigeria and the UK, drawing on influences from both Lagos’ music culture and underground scenes in the United Kingdom. Spotify referenced earlier tracks including “FIT,” “Anyways” and “Watchu Mean” as examples of her prior work.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the platform’s EQUAL programme aims to elevate women creators within Africa’s music ecosystem. “DEELA’s music reflects the creativity and drive shaping Africa’s current music scene,” Okumu said. “As part of Spotify’s EQUAL programme, she represents how African women are advancing visibility, driving opportunities, and building global connections through their art.”

In an interview segment included in the release, DEELA described her motivation for making music and how she approaches industry spaces. “It was when I realised that I have this unshakable joy while I’m creating music and get into a flow state very easily,” she said, referring to the point she decided music was her direction. She added: “I love that people associate my music with confidence and fierceness because that’s exactly why I do it.”

Asked how she navigates the industry as a woman, DEELA said: “I always put myself out there. The best people you meet are outside, and it's important to always talk positively about yourself in these rooms. It feels daunting taking up space, but that’s the best way to navigate the music industry as a woman.”

Spotify’s EQUAL initiative is part of a broader shift in how platforms shape music discovery and consumption, with playlists and editorial programming increasingly influencing what listeners in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and diaspora markets hear. For East African labels, distributors and artist managers, such platform-led campaigns can translate into measurable uplifts in streams, follower growth and booking interest, although the company did not provide figures for the impact of this month’s spotlight.

The announcement comes as Spotify reports scale across its global business. In the same statement, the company said it has 751 million monthly active users and 290 million premium subscribers across 184 markets. Spotify also said its catalogue includes more than 100 million tracks and more than 7 million podcast titles.

Looking ahead, DEELA’s EQUAL Africa placement is expected to increase her visibility on Spotify’s discovery surfaces and related editorial properties over the month. Spotify did not disclose the next EQUAL Africa selection date in the statement.

Spotify has begun rolling out a new beta feature dubbed SongDNA to Premium users globally, aiming to show the creative links behind individual tracks by surfacing credits and related works directly in the mobile app’s Now Playing view.

In a media statement dated March 24 and issued from Nairobi, Spotify said SongDNA is built into the Now Playing screen on iOS and Android. The company said the feature is available on “supported tracks” and will become broadly available to all Premium users “throughout April.”

According to Spotify, users can tap a SongDNA card to explore a track’s writers, producers and collaborators, alongside samples and interpolations that influenced the song and covers it later inspired. The company said the card is designed to let listeners follow those links further—tapping through creators and their other collaborations—to see how artists and genres connect over time.

The launch adds to a growing set of in-app context tools music platforms are using to drive engagement. For Kenya’s fast-growing streaming audience and creator economy—where discovery and attribution are increasingly tied to monetisation—features that make credits and rights ownership more visible can influence how creators build followings and how audiences understand who is behind a hit.

Spotify said the information powering SongDNA “is powered by a combination of information we receive from artists and their teams, supplemented by community-sourced data.” As the company tests the experience, it said eligible artist and label teams can “review and manage the components of SongDNA” through Spotify for Artists.

“SongDNA is designed to make a song’s creative lineage more transparent so fans can easily explore the people and influences behind the music they love,” Jacqueline Ankner, Spotify’s Head of Songwriter & Publisher Partnerships, said in the statement. “By bringing collaborators, samples, and covers together in one place, we’re making it easier for fans to discover new music and see how songs connect and come to life—while giving songwriters, producers, and rightsholders meaningful recognition for the role they play in creating it.”

Spotify positioned SongDNA as complementary to its existing “About the Song” beta feature, which provides track-specific context. While About the Song focuses on a single track’s story, Spotify said SongDNA is intended to enable exploration across related works and contributor networks.

For the Kenyan and wider East African market, the rollout underscores how streaming platforms are competing not only on catalogue size and pricing but also on product features that deepen listening time and improve the visibility of behind-the-scenes contributors. More prominent attribution could also support local songwriters, producers and engineers seeking recognition across borders—especially where credits have historically been inconsistent across digital services.

Spotify included updated user metrics in its statement, saying it has 626 million monthly active users and 246 million Premium subscribers globally, and that it operates in more than 180 markets.

The company said SongDNA is rolling out in beta to Premium users globally on iOS and Android, with broader availability planned during April.

Kenyan pop collective Matata has released a new single, ‘Nyongi’, featuring Tanzanian artist Marioo, as the first offering from its upcoming EP titled ‘ERA (East Rise Again)’, according to a press release dated 19 March 2026. The track was produced by Kenyan producer Wodomolo and was recorded in Nairobi.

Matata said the EP is planned as a six-track project scheduled for release in June. The group also announced that another single, ‘Kanairo’, is set for release in May 2026, ahead of the broader EP rollout later in the year.

The cross-border collaboration underscores a growing pattern of East African artists working across markets as streaming platforms increase the regional and international reach of music made in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and other hubs. For Kenya’s music business, such partnerships can expand audience pools, strengthen touring and brand opportunities across the region, and increase the export potential of Kenyan music through shared fan bases.

In the release, Matata described the recording session as a Nairobi studio collaboration that brought together Sheng and Bongo Flava influences. “Something special happened when we teamed up with Marioo. We stepped into the studio in Nairobi and came out with a song that feels bigger than the room it was made in,” Matata said. “It’s Sheng meeting Bongo Flava, Nairobi meeting Dar es Salaam — different places, but the same energy. For us, this isn’t just a collaboration; it’s a moment.”

Marioo, in a separate quote, said the track was built around shared musical elements and performance energy. “Working on ‘Nyongi’ with Matata was an incredible experience. Their energy and unique sound brought something special to the record,” Marioo said. “This song celebrates rhythm, movement and the powerful East African connection in music and I’m excited for fans to experience it and see the energy Matata will bring when performing it live.”

Matata framed ‘ERA (East Rise Again)’ as a regional project expected to include artists from across East Africa. While full collaborator details were not disclosed in the statement, the group positioned the EP as part of a broader push toward a shared regional sound and larger audiences beyond the region.

Streaming performance remains a key commercial metric for East African acts seeking sponsorship, booking and distribution opportunities. Matata said it has surpassed 45 million streams and attracted more than one million listeners across 182 countries, attributing the growth to a rising international following built over the past year.

For Kenyan industry stakeholders—labels, promoters, and brand partners—the release points to continued momentum in cross-border collaborations that can help de-risk market concentration by extending reach into Tanzania and wider diaspora audiences. Such releases also increase the likelihood of multi-city tours and festival bookings, which remain an important revenue stream alongside digital distribution.

Matata said the next milestone is the May 2026 release of ‘Kanairo’, ahead of the June EP release, with additional rollout activity expected later in the year.