Kimbra, Lorde Top Spotify's Inaugural Aotearoa Music Global Impact List

Spotify Australia & New Zealand today unveils its inaugural Aotearoa Music Global Impact List. The list recognises the Top 30 tracks from Aotearoa artists with the biggest global impact on Spotify over the first half of 2023 outside of New Zealand (eligibility limited to tracks released between Jan 1 and Jun 30, 2023).

The list is generated from global streams of tracks by New Zealand artists but excludes streaming in New Zealand. Check out the full list via a handy graphic to use HERE.

Topping the first ever New Zealand Music Global Impact List is ‘Somebody 2024’ — a rework of 2011 smash hit ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ by local legend Kimbra and Australia’s Gotye — remixed by Chris Lake, FISHER and Sante Sansone.

The track beats one of New Zealand’s most successful exports of the last decade, Lorde, who lands in both second and third spot. Her team-up with Charli xcx, ‘The girl, so confusing version with Lorde’, is at #2 despite only being released in late June. It is followed by the #3 entry, her cover of ‘Take Me to the River’ by Talking Heads.

Others to land tracks in the Top 10 include singer-songwriter Shirley Seita who teams up with Indian dup Mitraz for ‘Khileya’ (#4) and rapper and producer SXMPRA whose collab with US rapper ‘FULL EFFECT’’ comes in at #10.

SXMPRA is one of several acts with multiple songs included in the list with two entries. Reggae act L.A.B. also have two entries (both in the Top 10) while dark pop artist Vana lands on the list three times. The most featured act is Auckland producer 9Lives with four tracks, the highest of which is ‘MULTIMILLIONAIRE’, a collaboration with Odetari and Trippie Redd.

Spotify Australia & New Zealand Artist & Label Partnership Lead, Leah Harris said: “The New Zealand music industry is now bigger than it ever has been, thanks to streaming. In an age of an emerging borderless music industry, this list is a fantastic snapshot of local artists having a big impact on the world stage and comes as New Zealand looks to become a net exporter of music!”

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