Heartbreak songs, rather than love anthems, dominated Nigerians’ listening habits this Valentine’s season, according to new data released by Spotify.

The streaming platform reported a surge in playlists centred on longing, vulnerability, and emotional recovery.

In a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Ms. Phiona Okumu, said mood-led playlist creation had increased sharply in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.

According to her, heartbreak-themed listening grew faster than love-focused playlists. Between January 1 and February 4, Spotify recorded a 305 per cent rise in so-called “yearn playlists” between 2024 and 2025, followed by a further 170 per cent increase from 2025 to 2026.

“While romance remained present, the figures suggest Valentine’s Day in Nigeria is increasingly becoming a season where listeners sit with complicated emotions rather than just celebrate love,” she said.

“Valentine’s Day in Nigeria is no longer a single-note romance moment. We are seeing listeners embrace love and heartbreak as equally valid emotional realities, and use music to move through both with honesty.”

Okumu noted that Gen Z listeners were the clearest drivers of the heartbreak trend. Among users aged 18 to 24 on Valentine’s Day, nearly 60 per cent leaned towards heartbreak listening, while almost 40 per cent preferred love-themed tracks.

The pattern cuts across gender. Men accounted for more than 65 per cent of heartbreak streams and 61 per cent of love streams, while women represented just over one-third in both categories.

Geographically, heartbreak listening was most concentrated in Lagos, followed by Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, and Benin, suggesting that young Nigerians in major cities are using music to process romance, uncertainty, and healing.

Despite the emotional tilt, collaborative listening remained strong. Valentine’s Day 2025 was described as the “Blendiest” day of the year, with users merging Afrobeats, street-pop, and R&B into shared playlists.

Top shared tracks included Fido’s Awolowo, OdumoduBlvck’s Juju (featuring Smur Lee and Shallipopi), and Rema’s Fi Kan We Kan. In direct song shares, listeners favoured emotionally candid records such as Future’s Worst Day and Drake’s Give Me A Hug.

Okumu added that the season is expanding beyond romance to friendships and community ties. Globally, “Galentine” playlist creation rose by more than 70 per cent year-on-year, while faith-based podcasts and relationship discussions remained prominent on February 14.

“This year’s Valentine’s data presents a portrait of a generation redefining connection — emotionally fluent, culturally hybrid, community-oriented, and unafraid of contradiction,” she said.