Why Kenyans Are Listening to More Heartbreak Songs than Love Songs Ahead of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day in Kenya was once a predictable performance of red roses, expensive dinners, and carefully curated Instagram declarations.

However, according to new data from Spotify, the 2026 season reveals a deeper, more complex shift. Kenyans are increasingly trading grand romantic gestures for “yearning” playlists and “Quiet Storm” marathons.

The data reveals that while love song streaming has surged by 84% since 2023, heartbreak listening has also grown by 62%.

Young, emotional, and online

The report indicated that from Gen Z’s “yearn” playlists to the rise of “Quiet Storm” for older listeners, the soundtrack to Kenyan romance is becoming more reflective and intentional.

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Key highlights include:

• Gen Z’s Influence: This group created 92% of “yearn” and 78% of “simp” playlists.
• Gender Balance: Heartbreak listening is almost evenly split between men (47%) and women (51%).
• Local Favorites: Bien’s Chikwere leads local love listening, while Céline Dion and Westlife remain international staples.

Instead of loud breakup anthems, Gen Z is gravitating toward artists like Billie Eilish, Lord Huron, and Tate McRae musicians whose songs sit quietly with sadness rather than trying to solve it.

“Between 2023 and 2025, heartbreak listening in Kenya grew by 62%, and love listening went up by more than 80%. In other words, while roses were being exchanged, Kenyans were also pressing play on something considerably less optimistic, and feeling seen. In addition, playlists created between January 1 2026 and February 4 2026, grew by 58% as listeners pre-game their hearts for the highs, lows, and awkward in-betweens of the season,” part of the report read.

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Heartbreak is Gender Neutral

Heartbreak streaming in Kenya is split almost evenly, with 51% of streams coming from women and 47% from men.

This “gender balance” indicates that the need to process loss or unrequited love is a universal Kenyan experience, regardless of who is pressing play.

“Streaming splits almost evenly between women and men, with 51% of heartbreak streams coming from females and 47% from males, with love listening showing the same balance. It turns out emotional processing is not a niche interest; it’s a shared one. Valentine’s, it seems, has become the one time of year when everyone is allowed to feel something without having to explain it. No captions required,” Part of the report indicated.

The report further reveled that quiet storm was the most-streamed genre ahead of Valentine’s Day in 2026, suggesting that romance is still present, just approached with fewer grand gestures and more intention.

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Planning for Feelings

Valentine’s Day in Kenya is no longer a single-day event. It has evolved into a multi-week emotional season that starts in early January.

Playlist creation influenced by Galentine’s Day increased by 389% over three years between 2022 and 2025, averaging a 71% year-on-year growth.

“This is not casual behavior. Kenyans are planning their emotions, curating soundtracks for love, for heartbreak, or pretending they’re fine. Valentine’s has become less about the day itself and more about having the right music ready, just in case,” part of the report highlighted.

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The collage photo shows greeting cards written Happy Valentines Day
PHOTO/Pinterest