Mumbai, 14th November, 2025: Spotify brought together India’s leading I-Pop stars for the first-ever Spotify I-Pop Icons Live, Spotify Premium experience. Featuring performances by King, Armaan Malik, Jonita, Aditya Rikhari, Kushagra, Hansika Pareek, and Sanju Rathod, the event showcased the consistent growth and popularity of I-Pop stars in the country.
Artist-centric pop music that spans several languages and sounds, I-Pop has surged in popularity on Spotify over the past years. I-Pop artists have become mainstays on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs India chart, with Aditya Rikhari’s “Sahiba” currently occupying the top spot, and 12 of the top 20 also comprising I-Pop songs.
On Spotify, I-Pop music continues to find new listeners, as the flagship playlist, I-Pop Icons, launched in August 2024, has over 428,000 followers. Beyond this, I-Pop Rising spotlights up-and-coming I-Pop stars, while other playlists within the ecosystem – such as I-Pop Mohabbat, I-Pop Chill, I-Pop Sad Feels, and I-Pop Party – are based on moods and moments. A dedicated hub, Home of I-Pop, brings them all together, serving as a one-stop destination for fans.
Dhruvank Vaidya, Head of Music and Podcast, Spotify India, says
“Over the last few years, we have seen the consumption of I-Pop music increase significantly on Spotify. Spotify is fully invested in growing I-Pop in India through the I-Pop playlist ecosystem, bespoke content that we create with artists and now the first ever I-Pop Icons Live event. Of the artists that performed at the event, Aditya Rikhari with “Sahiba” currently has the top spot on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, while King’s “Maan Meri Jaan” was the most streamed song in India in 2023, based on Wrapped data. We expect to see this growth to continue, as artists create more I-Pop music and keep growing their fan base. Spotify will continue to play a very key role in bringing these artists closer to their biggest fans”.
Artists at the Forefront of India’s I-Pop Movement
I-Pop continues to grow, as artists reach listeners across languages and geographies, together shaping the landscape of pop music in India.
- King – with over 9 million followers on Spotify – has one of the most-streamed I-Pop songs on the platform with “Maan Meri Jaan”, which was also the most-streamed track on Spotify in India in 2023, based on Wrapped data. His album Champagne Talk debuted at #4 on Spotify’s Global Albums Top 50 – also amongst the highest positions ever achieved by an Indian pop artist on the chart.
- Armaan Malik – with over 23 million followers on Spotify and currently in the top 100 most followed artists on the platform – was amongst the first Indian I-Pop artists to set the stage for international collaborations, with Ed Sheeran, Calum Scott, Eric Nam, and more. He was also the first Indian artist to be featured on the Spotify Times Square billboard in March 2020, for his English debut, “Control”.
- Jonita Gandhi – with close to 2 million followers and nearly 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify – is a multilingual artist, with songs in English, Hindi, and Punjabi. Her song “Sitara” with DIVINE is her most popular I-Pop song, with over 21.7 million streams on Spotify.
- Aditya Rikhari – with close to 2 million followers and over 25 million monthly listeners on Spotify – is one of India’s fastest-rising pop voices. His hit “Sahiba” has spent over 18 weeks on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, currently holding the top spot.
- Kushagra – with over 400,000 followers and more than 13 million listeners – has emerged as a breakout star, seeing a 665% growth in listeners over the last year.
- Hansika Pareek – with over 90,000 followers and more than 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify – is a rising voice in Indian pop music. Her song “Ratiyaan” charted amongst the top 100 on the Viral Songs India chart, and she also been a RADAR India artist.
- Sanju Rathod – with over 1 million followers and close to 8 million monthly listeners – is taking Marathi pop music to new heights. His hit “Gulabi Sadi” became the first-ever Marathi song to cross 100 million streams on Spotify, while “Shaky” is the only Marathi track to reach the #2 spot on Spotify’s Top Songs India chart.
