Singer and songwriter, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido and Omah Lay’s collaboration, “With You”,  topped Spotify’s list of the most shared Nigerian songs in 2025.

Spotify, in its 2025 Wrapped data for Nigeria, said the track emerged as the most forwarded and reposted song across private and public digital spaces.

NAN reports on Monday that according to Spotify, this underscores how music functions as a powerful social connector among Nigerians.

“It also reflects a broader trend in which Nigerians use music as a personal handshake in song form, a way to say, “I’m thinking of you”, without typing a word.”

Rema’s “Fun” followed closely at number two, dominating Snapchat and Instagram, platforms where music sharing is tied to self-expression.

“Listeners suggest that sharing the song is less about private messaging and more about identity performance.”

Burna Boy’s “Love”, which ranked third, circulated widely across Snapchat, Instagram stories and Whatsapp.

The song became one many Nigerians chose to wear on their digital sleeves, moving fluidly across group chats and feeds.

Listeners said it created a shared emotional warmth.

Faith-based, such as Lawrence Oyor’s “Favour” placed fourth while “No Turning Back II” by Gaise Baba and Lawrence Oyor ranked fifth.

The gospel tracks, which highlight the role of spirituality in everyday Nigerian digital life, spread through Whatsapp groups, SMS messages and story feeds, for encouragement and spiritual reassurance.

Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped data showed  that social listening featured blend, friends mix, and collaborative playlists did not  just complement the music experience; they transformed it into a shared ritual.

Jam sessions increased by 145 per cent in Nigeria from 2024, as friends, lovers, crews, and even offices turned real-time listening into a new kind of bonding moment.

It became less about the song themselves, and more about the shared experience they created — a reminder that community is often built in the smallest moments.

“In 2025, every forwarded song, shared link or story post tells the same story.

“Music is a social glue, a mirror of mood, a bridge across private and public spaces, and a thread weaving individuals into community.”

Industry observers noted that the pattern of sharing revealed why certain songs travelled faster than others.

According to them, Nigerians share music to feel close, express identity, uplift one another and to belong.

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US rapper Cardi B has gone viral in Saudi Arabia, where the artist performed in the early hours of Sunday morning and unleashed a torrent of praise for the kingdom in a series of social media videos.

Saudi Arabia has been splashing out in recent years amid an ambitious economic reform drive that has included spending vast sums on celebrity appearances as it seeks to rebrand its image and attract non-oil investment.

“Everything is brand new, honey. This country looks like it was just opened up yesterday,” the artist said in a video posted on Instagram that has been widely shared online.

Cardi B was one of the headline performers at Riyadh’s MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival, where she welcomed the thousands in attendance with the traditional Muslim greeting “Salam alaikum” before later stating that “everything is mashallah” in the wealthy Gulf monarchy.

The Arabic word, meaning “God has willed it”, is a common term of praise in Muslim countries.

Known for her explicit language, the rapper adopted a more restrained tone during her set, avoiding her most graphic expressions.

She wore a flowing outfit that covered her from neck to toe, a departure from her usual, often revealing, stage attire.

In the run-up to the performance, the artist posted videos at Riyadh’s luxury malls and donned a hijab, while praising the shopping, ranting against paying American taxes and raving over the levels of opulence in the Saudi capital.

“The shopping is great, mashallah!” she added, while gushing over the fame she enjoyed in the kingdom.

“I’m somebody over here,” she said.

“I do recommend to come over here for vacation. There’s no alcohol, but some of y’all don’t need to be drinking and having S-E-X.”

Cardi B’s appearance in Saudi Arabia also comes just months after she was cleared of an assault charge in a $24 million civil trial in which the star was accused of slashing a woman’s face with her fingernails.

The rapper — whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar — was just the latest American to make waves in the Gulf region in recent days.

Last week, right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson announced he would be buying property in neighbouring Qatar as he rebuffed accusations he had taken money from the Gulf state.

Celebrities, athletes and social media influencers have increasingly been drawn to perform, compete and make appearances in the Gulf states in recent years, where they receive eye-watering sums but are also criticised for turning a blind eye to rights abuses.

Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion and Eminem are among the most high-profile names to have performed in Saudi Arabia recently.

Earlier this year, the Riyadh Comedy Festival sparked a controversy in the US, as comics who staunchly defended free speech back home were accused of hypocrisy for performing in Saudi Arabia.

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Actress Annie Macaulay has been leaning fully into a new phase of her life since the crash of her marriage to popular singer, Innocent Idibia, aka 2baba.

Although the divorce has yet to be formally concluded, both parties appear to be settling into their separate lives. For Annie, that transition has been marked by deliberate self-care and a renewed focus on family.

Shortly after the split, the actress embarked on a wellness retreat that took her through Qatar and Singapore, before extending her journey to Cape Town, South Africa. Since then, she has continued to prioritise her daughters, often sharing moments that highlight their bond and her commitment to their well-being.

Her social media posts have also carried undertones of reflection and self-worth. In September, she shared a text image that read, “I hope my daughter doesn’t accept things I’ve accepted, that she knows her worth from the start and that no matter what, she always has me in her corner.”

In December, shortly after a video surfaced online showing 2Baba and his wife, Natasha, in an altercation that ended with him being led away by policemen, Annie updated her Instagram Stories with posts many followers interpreted as subtle reactions. One read, “Sometimes, trying to prove that you are the best is an insult.” Another featured burning matchsticks, with a single stick pulled away from the rest, bearing the text, “The power of stepping away.”

She also stirred reactions when she used 2Baba’s song, ‘Enter the Place’, to promote an event in Cape Town.

Fans were further puzzled when she changed her Instagram handle back to Annie Idibia. She had previously dropped the surname after 2Baba announced their separation in a public post on Instagram, thanking friends and supporters while signing off with her maiden name. “God Bless you for the outpouring of love… Lots of LOVE. Annie Uwana Macaulay,” she wrote at the time.

Annie officially acknowledged the separation in May 2025 during the 17th Headies Awards in Lagos, where she initially introduced herself as “Annie Idi…” before correcting it to “Annie Macaulay.”

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