Millenials and Gen Z listen to more foreign language and non-English music than previous generations. Here’s why listeners are expanding their taste to include languages they don’t speak — and which underrated artists you should check out if you’re looking to broaden your own horizons.
Non-English Music on the Rise
If you’re an English-speaking listener who’s been paying attention to popular music genres over the past decade, you’ve certainly noticed an increasing interest in non-English songs and artists. These days, it’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t heard of Bad Bunny, the “King of Latin Trap,” or K-Pop supergroup BTS.
Data from Luminate shows that about 2-in-5 Americans (or 39%) regularly listen to non-English artists. But why are these artists topping the charts in the US (the world’s biggest music streaming market), now more than ever?
The Impact of Social Media, Influencers, and Streaming Services
As is usually the case with many Gen Z phenomena, foreign language music owes its popularity in English-speaking spheres to social media, as well as services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Sites like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit doubtlessly help to grow communities around various artists. Someone who may discover a foreign-language song they like on a whim can quickly become part of a huge online fanbase, where they’ll discover even more to enjoy. The subreddit for BTS (r/Bangtan), for example, has more than 703,000 members as of 2025.
However, this isn’t all about a being super-fan of one band. A great deal of Millenial and Gen Z social media users are actively looking to discover new music all the time. Many young people simply want to see what’s out there — or make the most out of a music streaming subscription.
This is evidenced by the popularity of creators like @nikolestunes, Cam Sullivan-Brown/@_itsjust_camm, and Jarred Jermaine/@jarredjermaine. These three social media personalities (and many others) gear their content towards discussing music history and recommending new artists to viewers. Their videos often also include explorations of non-English music.
And of course, with the accessibility of the internet, it’s easy to stream the songs they talk about for yourself.
Which Languages are on Top?
English remains the most streamed language globally. However, as of 2023, the next most popular languages were, in order: Spanish, Hindi, Korean, and Japanese.
One of the quickest growing genres of foreign language music nowadays is Afrobeats. This style is a mix of traditional West African music/languages and modern pop and hip-hop elements. One of the most recognizable names in Afrobeats currently is Rema, who performed at Rolling Stone’s SXSW (South by Southwest) event earlier this year. Rema sings in a variety of languages, including Edo — the language of his hometown, Benin City, Nigeria.
Who Should You Be Listening To?
So far I’ve mentioned a few of the top non-English artists worldwide — Bad Bunny, BTS, and Rema. But if you’re looking for some more niche and varied recommendations, here’s a non-comprehensive overview of some of my personal favorites.
Arroba Nat (Spanish Indie Folk)
Recommended songs: ¿Quién Se Va?, Ausente
Natalia Díaz, also known as Arroba Nat, is a Mexican indie-folk artist. Her songs often embrace melancholy feelings and “mal de amores” (lovesickness). Even if you don’t speak Spanish, Arroba Nat’s vocals and musical stylings curate a beautifully sweet-sad sound.
NewJeans/NJZ (K-Pop)
Recommended songs: ETA, Supernatural, How Sweet
NewJeans, recently rebranded to NJZ, is a K-Pop girl group with a unique style. Singing in a mixture of English and Korean, NJZ is set apart from other similar groups by their distinct, hip-hop and R&B influenced music. Though they’re a relatively recent group on the K-Pop scene (having formed in 2022), they have 12 million monthly listeners from around the world on Spotify.
Ayra Starr (Afrobeats)
Recommended songs: Sability, Rush, Bad Vibes
Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr is on the rise in the Afrobeats world. Her song “Rush” was nominated for a Grammy in 2024 (Best African Music Performance). Starr’s music is an exciting blend of genres and languages, as she speaks English, French, Yoruba, and Nigerian Pidgin. She often sings about being a “sabi girl,” a phrase she popularized herself, which refers to a girl who is kind, confident, and smart. It’s no surprise that her music emanates these exact qualities.
Shonen Knife (Japanese Rock/Punk)
Recommended songs: Mass Communication Breakdown, Banana Chips
This band is a bit older than my other recommendations, but they’ve definitely stood the test of time. Celebrating their 40 year anniversary in 2021, Shonen Knife is one of the oldest active punk bands. And their sound, a mix of rock and punk stylings that features lyrics about eating junk food and being happy, is absolutely unmatched. Their songs feature both English and Japanese lyrics, though front-woman Naoko Yamano has said that she doesn’t want her English to sound perfect, she wants it to sound original — and she definitely succeeds here. Oh and also, Shonen Knife toured with Nirvana in the 90s. Kurt Cobain was a huge fan.
Bambole di Pezza (Italian Punk)
Recommended songs: Rock & Roll, Non Sei Sola, Freddy Krueger
Bambole di Pezza (meaning “rag dolls” in Italian) is an all-female punk group from Milan that doesn’t hold anything back. They began their career in 2002, releasing two albums. Then, they went on almost twenty years of hiatus between 2004 and 2022. Now, they’re back with a different lineup, but a strikingly similar vibe. The newer music of Bambole di Pezza is definitely true to the band’s original early-2000s punk sound. Their songs often fight back against sexism and misogyny, and if you speak any Italian, you’ll notice that they swear a lot.
So now you know
Hopefully this article has shed some light on why foreign language artists are so popular with Gen Z listeners. There’s truly such a vast variety of artists and genres out there, and most music is more accessible now than ever. So why limit yourself only to languages you speak? With that, I encourage you to give a listen to any of the artists from this article who might have piqued your interest and be on the lookout for more up-and-coming musicians who perform in languages other than English!
