Top Middle East and North Africa artists, songs globally for 2025 revealed

Spotify has revealed its list of the Top Middle East and North Africa artists and songs globally for 2025, spotlighting how music from the region continues to travel across the world. Shaped by streams from listeners both within MENA and across the world, the list is all about the voices that resonated most on a global scale this year.

At the centre of global listening is Amr Diab, who topped Spotify’s Global Top MENA Artists list for 2025. A constant presence across decades and continents, Diab’s music remains deeply woven into everyday life across the Arab world and the diaspora. His classic “Tamally Maak” returns to the global Top Tracks list.

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Sherine emerged as 2025’s emotional anchor, placing four tracks in the global Top 10. From timeless favourites like “Kalam Eineh”, “El Watar El Hassas”, and “3la Bali” to the more recent “Btmanna Ansak”, her music reached listeners from Egypt to Germany and the UK.

Nostalgia and legacy also shaped global listening habits. Nancy Ajram’s early-2000s hit “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa” found new audiences in countries such as Indonesia and Turkey, while Khaled’s genre-defining “C’est La Vie” continued its journey from France to India. Fairuz remained a fixture in morning playlists and quiet routines for listeners across generations. Artists like Tamer Ashour and Ramy Sabry further reinforced how romantic Arab pop continues to connect with audiences worldwide.

Alongside pop staples, artists shaping rap, mahraganat, and hybrid sounds maintained a strong global presence. Moroccan rapper ElGrandeToto, Spotify’s Top Artist in Morocco for six consecutive years, continued to represent the evolution of Moroccan hip-hop through blends of trap, raï, and chaabi. His collaboration with Morad, “Ojos Sin Ver”, featured on the global Top Tracks list.

In Egypt, Marwan Pablo remained a defining voice in hip-hop, while mahraganat artists Essam Sasa and Eslam Kabonga underscored the genre’s continued global reach through raw storytelling and high-energy sound. Collaborative and genre-blending tracks also stood out, with “KALAMANTINA” by Saint Levant and Marwan Moussa capturing the region’s growing hybrid electro-shaabi influence.

Electronic and alternative sounds found their place as well. “RAVE” by Algerian artist DXRK ダーク secured the second spot on the global Top Tracks list, continuing its momentum three years after the artist debuted as the most-streamed MENA act globally. With over 513 million streams, the track highlights the expanding global appetite for MENA-rooted electronic music.

Husain Rizvi

husain@khaleejtimes.com

Husain Rizvi is a Senior Features Writer who covers entertainment and lifestyle stories and has a profound interest in tech (games) and sports. When he’s not working, you can find him at the gym, or finishing a boss fight in a video game.