South African singer Shekhinah has released a new interpretation of Lebo Mathosa‘s 2006 dance track ‘I Love Music’ to mark the fifth anniversary of Spotify‘s EQUAL programme.
The recording is part of Spotify Singles, a series that gives artists the opportunity to reinterpret existing songs or present new material. The new version connects Shekhinah’s contemporary sound with Mathosa’s catalogue.
Streaming performance#
Originally released in 2006, ‘I Love Music’ has accumulated more than 1.8 million streams globally on Spotify, with 88% generated in South Africa. The track has also appeared on more than 70,000 user-generated playlists worldwide.
The song’s streaming performance in South Africa has increased consistently since 2018, recording an estimated compound annual growth rate of 95% over the subsequent seven years. It is also on course for another strong year in 2026.
Audience and geography#
The track’s audience spans several generations. Listeners aged 35 to 44 represent the largest age group, followed by those aged 18 to 24 and 30 to 34. Men account for 63% of its streams, while the song continues to attract Gen Z, millennials and Gen X listeners.
Gauteng accounts for a significant share of its South African audience.
- Johannesburg: more than 700,000 streams, almost half of the song’s South African streams
- Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion and Midrand combined: more than 75% of South African streams
- Other leading cities: Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha
EQUAL initiative#
Spotify launched EQUAL in 2021 to promote women artists and address gender disparities in the music industry. The initiative operates across several markets, including Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Great South African music evolves, gets rediscovered and finds new listeners,” Jodie Tabisher said. “Shekhinah’s reinterpretation is a celebration of that legacy while giving audiences another reason to connect with a song that has remained part of our musical DNA.”
The release also comes as older South African catalogue music continues to find audiences through streaming platforms, where playlisting and algorithmic recommendations can introduce recordings from previous generations to younger listeners.
Shekhinah’s version of ‘I Love Music’ is available on Spotify.
