The U.S. Afrobeats music scene saw a remarkable rise in 2025, with the track “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” taking the top spot on Billboard’s year-end chart. This song marks a significant achievement for MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, and Shenseea, as it is their first year-end finish in this competitive genre.
Chart Performance of ‘Shake It to the Max (Fly)’
Initially released in December 2024, “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” featured MOLIY and Silent Addy. Its remix in February 2025, which included contributions from Skillibeng and Shenseea, sparked a surge in popularity and streaming. The song debuted at No. 16 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart on March 8, 2025, and quickly climbed to No. 1 within ten weeks.
The track maintained its dominance for the remainder of the monitoring period, ultimately spending 27 weeks at the top. While the chart’s calculations are based exclusively on streaming and sales data, “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” also achieved considerable radio play, including:
- Ranked No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart for two weeks in August.
- Peaked at No. 3 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in July.
- Reached No. 19 on the Pop Airplay chart in November.
This strong radio presence propelled the song to a peak position of No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Tyla’s Dominance in 2025
Although “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” led the year-end chart, Tyla’s single “Water” secured the second position. Tyla, a South African artist, has had a remarkable journey since late 2023. “Water” completed 55 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, including four additional weeks at the top within the 2025 tracking period.
Another of Tyla’s hits, “Push 2 Start,” came in third place, having a notable reign of 20 weeks at No. 1 from December 2024 to May 2025. Despite “Push 2 Start” having more weeks at No. 1 than “Water,” its more rapid decline from that position affected its final ranking.
Top U.S. Afrobeats Artists of 2025
Tyla was not only the top song performer, but she also clinched the title of top artist for 2025. This marked a historic repeat of her 2024 success. Her impressive year included 11 charted entries, with “Dynamite,” a collaboration with Wizkid, hitting No. 2 and “Mr. Media” reaching No. 8.
Wizkid finished in second place among U.S. Afrobeats Artists, supported by a remarkable 25 entries on the weekly chart. He had five songs in the top 20, including:
- “Piece of My Heart” (No. 7) with Brent Faiyaz
- “Gimme Dat” (No. 12) with Ayra Starr
- “Kese (Dance)” (No. 13)
- “MMS” (No. 17) with Asake
- “Dynamite” (No. 18) with Tyla
Rema secured third place with two top ten tracks: “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez at No. 5, and “Baby (Is It a Crime)” following closely behind. Davido and Burna Boy rounded out the top five U.S. Afrobeats Artists for 2025.
Conclusion
The Billboard year-end charts take into account aggregated performances from October 26, 2024, to October 18, 2025. This data encapsulates the impressive growth and ongoing popularity of Afrobeats music in the U.S.
