Spotify has revealed a remarkable surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with Nigerian men accounting for a significant portion of this trend. The platform reported a 626% increase in heartbreak-related streams between 2022 and 2024.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music for Sub-Saharan Africa, disclosed the findings in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, noting that heartbreak songs have become a dominant theme during Valentine’s celebrations.

“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to process their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024,” Okumu said. “This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”

On Valentine’s Day 2024, Egwu by Chike and Mohbad was among the top three most-streamed songs in Nigeria, alongside Wizkid’s One Love – Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film and Cast by Shallipopi and Odumodublvck.

In 2023, Omah Lay’s emotional track Soso was one of the most-streamed songs, joined by j-hope’s Arson and Ayra Starr’s Sability.

Contrary to expectations that heartbreak music would dominate night-time listening, Spotify data revealed that Nigerians listen to these tracks most frequently between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. For three consecutive years, heartbreak songs have formed part of Nigerians’ morning routines, often accompanying them at work as they process emotions privately.

Surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than their female counterparts on Valentine’s Day. Spotify reported a 362% increase in heartbreak streams among men compared to a 169% rise among women.

“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions,” Okumu explained.