'Spotify's new No. 1': World’s most-followed artist isn't American, isn’t K-pop and just hit 151 mn

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Streaming Sultan

Arijit Singh just dethroned Taylor Swift as the world’s most-followed artist on Spotify—with a jaw-dropping 151 million followers. No marketing gimmicks. Just raw voice and relentless reach.

Swift Who?

While Taylor raked in $2 billion from the Eras Tour, Arijit quietly added more Spotify followers than her entire concert audience—without a global stadium blitz.

India’s Voice, World’s Ears

From “Tum Hi Ho” to “Dhun,” his catalogue isn’t just chart-topping—it’s cross-border. Singh’s rise proves Indian music isn’t niche anymore. It’s global currency.

Slow Burn, Big Win

Spotify entered India in 2019. Arijit passed Swift in 2023, dipped, then came back in 2024 stronger than ever. No scandals. No drama. Just streams.

Follower Flex

151 million followers > Ed Sheeran (121M), Billie Eilish (114M), The Weeknd (107M), and yes—BTS (80M). That’s not growth. That’s domination.

Track Takeover

2024 hits like “Jaane Tu” and “Tum Kya Mile” didn’t just trend—they broke replay buttons. Singh doesn’t chase trends. He sets them.

Global Collab

He’s now teaming up with Ed Sheeran. The song? “Sapphire.” The message? Indian artists don’t need validation. They are the headliners now.

Only Two

Only two Indians sit in Spotify’s top 20: Arijit Singh at the top, and AR Rahman with 49M. That’s not just a stat—it’s a generational shift.

Diljit Rising

While Arijit leads the charts, Diljit Dosanjh’s 33M followers make him the next in line. Punjabi beats are brewing a global wave of their own.