Lorde, Kimbra and L.A.B have landed top spots on Spotify's Global Impact list. Photo / Getty Images, Alex Cairns
Lorde, Kimbra and L.A.B have landed top spots on Spotify's Global Impact list. Photo / Getty Images, Alex Cairns
Spotify has released its first-ever New Zealand Global Impact list, revealing exactly which Kiwi musicians are popular with listeners around the world. From Lorde to L.A.B, the list also includes some surprising names.
New Zealand might be hiddenaway at the bottom of the globe, but our reach expands far and wide.
The Christchurch-founded clothing giant Glassons is making major headway in the US. Wētā Workshop is creating content for a number of popular Hollywood productions, including House of the Dragon, and our musicians are getting in on the action too.
Spotify has released its New Zealand music Global Impact List, showcasing the top 30 songs created by Kiwi artists that are loved around the world.
It’s the first time a Kiwi version of the list has been released and details the songs made by Aotearoa’s musicians that have had the biggest success with Spotify listeners all around the world. Alicia Sbrugnera, head of music at Spotify, said it is “an excellent snapshot of local artists having an impact on the global stage”.
So, who made it onto Spotify’s New Zealand Global Impact List?
Kimbra
It may come as no surprise that Lorde has earned a top spot on the list, but the 27-year-old Auckland-born musician didn’t quite earn the number one place. Instead, that went to Grammy winner Kimbra and her 2011 collaboration with Gotye, Somebody That I Used To Know.
Despite the song having been released almost 15 years ago, a 2024 remake, Somebody 2024 by Chris Lake, FISHER and Sante Sansone, has gone viral and become a fan favourite for listeners worldwide.
Upon its initial release, the Kimbra and Gotye tune was a global success and landed the number one spot on the charts in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the US. It also won big at the Grammy Awards that year, walking away with Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Alternative Music Album and Record of The Year and was dubbed the “unofficial anthem” of Australia’s Splendour in the Grass festival by Take 40 Australia.
Gotye and Kimbra scooped a bunch of Grammy Awards for 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. Photo / Getty Images
Lorde
Taking second and third place on the list is Lorde. Born Ella Yelich-O’Connor, the popstar has become the voice of a generation with her moody tunes and unapologetic dance moves, and it’s clearly paid off.
While only released late June, her collaboration with UK star Charli XCX, The girl, so confusing version with Lorde, landed the number two spot largely due to it going viral on TikTok immediately after its release.
The song follows the pair as they take turns at singing verses about feeling insecure and how they projected those insecurities onto each other.
Charli XCX has previously spoken about Lorde inspiring the original song, saying she was “super jealous” of the New Zealander’s success when she was younger.
Lorde has landed the number two and three spot on Spotify's New Zealand Global Impact list. Photo / Getty Images
Following in its footsteps is her cover of Take Me to the Riverby Talking Heads which was released in March and marked the first time she had released a single in over three years.
At the time of the single’s release, she told fans: “We did it fast. I didn’t let myself tidy it up too much, it had to feel young and imperfect, the peeling posters, the jaw of acne.”
L.A.B
Earning spots eight and nine are the festival favourite reggae band L.A.B. Known for their easy-to-listen-to beats, the group, made up of Brad Kora, Stuart Kora, Joel Shadbolt, Ara Adams-Tamatea and Miharo Gregory, can easily captivate a crowd – and it seems the world, too.
L.A.B. live at the Wharepai Domain Tauranga. Ara Adams-Tamatea on bass and Miharo Gregory on keys. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times, Alex Cairns
Their 2014 single Ocean Demon and the recently released Give Me That Feeling earned millions of streams worldwide.
SXMPRA
New Zealand-based rapper and producer SXMPRA, real name Kalem Tarrant, also nabbed two spots on the list with the tracks FULL EFFECT in 10th place and SMOKE in 14th, further solidifying something his fans already know - he’s well on his way to becoming the next big thing.
The producer, who has a large fan base of almost 73,000 followers on TikTok has a relatively small presence in the Kiwi music scene but with listeners in Turkey, India and the US, Spotify’s head of music Sbrugnera says it “really displays how streaming provides a global stage for artists”.
“We are seeing music move across borders outside of traditional English-speaking markets as language really is not a barrier,” she said. Adding: “He also represents a wave of producers that are coming from New Zealand and contributing to a golden era for rap and electronic sub-genres we are seeing globally.”
9Lives
As for the artist with the most hits on the list? Hawke’s-Bay raised, Auckland-based South African producer 9Lives, bornMax Jardine takes out the title with four tracks, the highest of which is MULTIMILLIONAIRE, at number six, a collaboration with Odetari and Trippie Redd.
It’s a huge feat for the rising star who is a pioneer in his sigilkore genre of music. He often draws inspiration from trap, cloud rap, hyper pop and electronic music. Known for his experimental approach to electronic music, the 20-year-old has almost six million Spotify listeners per month.
The full list
Spotify has released its first ever New Zealand Global Impact list. Photo / Spotify
Lillie Rohan is a London-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things reality TV, films and music.
