The whole world loves hip-hop — and Spotify has the data to prove it

(Image credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Transcending boundaries of language and geography, new data from Spotify shows that hip-hop is the most pervasive genre of music worldwide. The revelation comes from the launch of the streaming app's "Musical Map" feature, which is updated biweekly to list the top tracks in major cities around the world.

Spotify's findings come as a bit of a surprise, as previous polls have found that rock tends to be the most popular music genre. The Independent notes that a variety of other factors could contribute to hip-hop's prevalence on the streaming service, "including the relationship of hip-hop labels with Spotify, the inclusivity of the genre, the playlisting of it, the use of Spotify in social settings (where, let's face it, the trap bangers are going to come out) and the strong sense of narrative arc on hip-hop releases that lead to longer listening sessions."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.