Every year, Spotify Wrapped gives us a fresh look at how people across the world are listening, and this year it shines a spotlight on some of the most unexpected, and adorable, tastemakers in the home: children.
In many African households, music has always been part of care. Parents and caregivers sing to soothe toddlers, hum through chores, and play songs to ease long journeys or help little ones drift off after a long day.
Because African homes are often communal, siblings helping siblings, aunties and uncles stepping in, cousins darting in and out, the songs that calm the youngest listeners often end up being played the most. One child’s favourite track quickly becomes the shared soundtrack of the whole household, whether that’s a flat, a townhouse, or a family compound.
Today, that same instinct simply lives on in a digital world. The 2025 Wrapped streaming trends mirror what has always been true in African family life: in moments where parents once relied solely on their own voices, clapping games, or familiar lullabies, families now turn to digital versions of those comfort songs, children’s music that offers calm, joy, and a sense of routine.
Even as parents navigate questions about screen time and endless replays, they are still using music as a way to care, connect, and create pockets of peace in the day.
The stars kids couldn’t stop listening to
The artists capturing the hearts and ears of young listeners across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and beyond are instantly recognisable to parents. Global favourites like CoComelon, Pinkfong, and Super Simple Songs dominate toddler playlists, while timeless tracks from artists such as Connie Francis continue to charm new generations.
Educational and playful content from Nursery Rhymes ABC, alongside popular soundtracks from Zombies-Cast, also feature strongly in daily listening. Together, they create a world where entertainment, early learning, and comfort sit side by side.
And alongside these international names, families are still pressing play on local-language lullabies and regionally loved children’s songs, keeping familiar melodies in the mix.
The tracks they just keep replaying
The songs themselves have become part of daily family rituals. CoComelon’s “Wheels on the Bus,” Pinkfong’s,“Baby Shark,”, and Connie Francis’s Pretty Little Baby are now fixtures on home speakers, TV sets, and in children’s learning spaces.
Sing-along staples like Christina Perri’s “You Are My Sunshine” and CoComelon’s “Baa Baa Black Sheep” weave their way into morning prep, playtime, car rides, and bedtime routines, appearing in the background of homework sessions, bath time, or quiet cuddles at the end of the day.
When children’s content becomes family culture
These melodies are stitched into the rhythm of home life, not just as children’s favourites, but as the unofficial anthems of the household. They become as familiar as the smell of Sunday lunch or the sound of cousins chatting in the corridor.
By leaning into the songs children respond to, families are creating shared cultural moments often without even planning to. What starts as “just something to keep the little one happy” soon turns into a soundtrack everyone can hum along to, and the living room becomes a space where generations meet through music.
In many sub-Saharan African households, the smallest listeners may not be the ones pressing play, but through their presence, their reactions, and their routines, they are helping to define the sound of home more than ever before.
And as digital platforms continue to grow, the melodies that resonate with children today may well shape the future of African sound from the home, to the classroom, to the charts. From the first thing in the morning to the final lullaby at night.
Wrapped shows us that children are quietly becoming Africa’s tiniest tastemakers setting the sound of home, one replay at a time.
