Aya Nakamura Becomes First African Female Artist to Hit 1 Billion Views on YouTube

Mali-born singer Aya Nakamura has set a new record as the first African artist to hit one billion views on YouTube.

Her song ‘Djadja’ has garnered one billion views and 5.8 million views. The song produced six years ago also makes Aya the youngest French artist to achieve the feat. 

‘Djadja’ talks about standing up against false rumors. It tells the story of a woman who stands up against lies and manipulation from a former lover. She challenges the person to stop lying and leave her alone.

‘Djadja’ theme and meaning

The song is shot against the backdrop of Barcelona which makes it resonate culturally with the audience. The fast-paced beats accompanied but the catchy rhythm give the song a vibrant energy and global appeal.

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The French-based artist performed at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The performance earned her praise from around the world further cementing her status as a big name in the music industry.

Nakamura, whose real name is Aya Coco Danioko, was born in May 1995 in Bamako, Mali. She followed in the footsteps of her mother, a traditional singer in Mali.

Aya Nakamura music journey

The 29-year-old singer established herself in the music scene at 19 years through her song ‘Karma’. She would later release her first album in 2017 titled ‘Journal Intime’. 

In 2020, she collaborated with British rapper Stormzy to release her third album’Aya’. She established herself as an international star through her fourth album ‘DNK’ released in 2023.

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The singer boasts a listenership of almost 10 million on Spotify, making her among the most listened-to French artists internationally. Aya also becomes the second African artist to gain one billion views on YouTube after Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ remix featuring Selena Gomez.

Other African songs that have surpassed over 500 million views on YouTube include Love Nwantiti by Ckay, Jerusalema by Master KG and Calm Down original song by Rema.

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