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In June 2020, Sauti Sol released Midnight Train, an album that would go on to define a generation of East African music. Five years later, the project remains one of Kenya’s most culturally significant musical exports, its impact still growing.
Released under Universal Music Group Africa, 'Midnight Train' was recorded between Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Los Angeles.
The 13-track album fused Afropop, soul, and R&B, while addressing themes of vulnerability, masculinity, and brotherhood.
Sung in English, Swahili, and Luhya, the music resonated deeply, not just within Kenya, but across the continent and among the global diaspora.
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Sauti Sol
Since its release, the album has amassed over 36 million global Spotify streams, becoming one of the most streamed Kenyan albums on the platform.
This growth has been consistent year after year, starting from around 3 million streams in 2020 and peaking at over 11 million in 2024. In the first half of 2025 alone, it has added more than 4 million streams, proving its continued relevance.
Several tracks stood out globally: 'Suzanna', 'Feel My Love', 'Insecure', 'My Everything' featuring India Arie, and the title track 'Midnight Train'.
These five not only lead in stream counts but also appear in over 382,000 user-generated playlists worldwide, making them some of the band’s most recognized and enduring works.
Kenya remains the top streaming market for 'Midnight Train', followed by the United States, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Canada, and Nigeria.
Among African cities, Nairobi leads, with significant contributions from Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Lusaka, and Abuja, signaling a continental embrace of the album’s message and sound.
Audience demographics show that the album resonates most with Gen Z. In Kenya, 63% of listeners are aged 18 to 24, while another 19% fall between 25 and 29.
While the band has often been associated with a female-leaning fanbase, Spotify data reveals that 54% of streams globally, and a similar ratio in Kenya, come from male listeners.
In 2023, when Sauti Sol announced their hiatus on May 20, global streams of the album surged by 18%, with Kenya alone experiencing a 21% spike.
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Sauti Sol during a past concert
The emotional weight of that announcement was reflected again during Sol Fest, the band’s reunion concert series. Between November 4–6, 2023, global streams jumped by 77%, while Kenyan streams more than doubled.
A second spike occurred during their December 2024 reunion.
Today, 'Midnight Train' ranks as the fourth most-streamed album in Kenya over the past five years on Spotify, trailing behind releases by Bien, Burna Boy, and SZA. That position speaks to its lasting influence.
READ ALSO: Investments, salaries & other ways Sauti Sol are staying millionaires despite hiatus
More of Sauti Sol on the Way
In a recent interview, band member Chimano revealed that while Midnight Train remains the group’s last official album before their hiatus, there is still unreleased music waiting in the wings.
“We still have an album that is ready that we haven’t released,” he said, adding that the band owes one more album to Universal Music as part of their contract.
We could have released it just so that we are done with the contract and all of that. But, I don’t know, we’re just like, it’s fine. The only thing that can’t happen is that we can’t release a song as Sauti Sol, independent of Universal, at the moment.
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Sauti Sol
Chimano also hinted at a vault of unreleased tracks that the members occasionally dip into for their individual projects.
As Midnight Train marks its fifth anniversary, it remains not just a symbol of Sauti Sol’s musical evolution but also a poignant milestone in their journey as a band.
And while the group remains on hiatus, fans can take heart, according to Chimano, there is still unreleased music in the vault and an album under Universal that’s waiting for the right moment.