Shekhinah Reimagines Lebo Mathosa’s “I Love Music” for Spotify EQUAL Anniversary

South African singer Shekhinah has released a fresh interpretation of Lebo Mathosa’s iconic 2006 dance hit “I Love Music” as part of Spotify’s EQUAL initiative. The release marks the fifth anniversary of the global programme, which was launched to promote women artists and address gender disparities across the music industry. Shekhinah’s version arrives through Spotify Singles, a series that gives artists an opportunity to reinterpret existing songs or introduce new material. By revisiting Mathosa’s enduring recording, Shekhinah connects a contemporary South African sound with an important piece of the country’s dance music history. The release also highlights the continuing ability of South African catalogue music to reach new generations through streaming.

Originally released in 2006, “I Love Music” has maintained a strong presence on Spotify nearly two decades after its debut. The song has accumulated more than 1.8 million streams globally, with 88% of those streams generated in South Africa. It has also appeared on more than 70 000 user-generated playlists around the world, demonstrating the lasting appeal of Mathosa’s music. The song’s continued performance shows that a recording from the mid-2000s can remain relevant in a rapidly changing digital music environment. Shekhinah’s new interpretation gives the track another opportunity to reach listeners who may be discovering Mathosa’s catalogue for the first time.

The streaming figures for “I Love Music” in South Africa provide further evidence of the song’s longevity. Since 2018, the track has recorded consistent growth in local streaming activity, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of 95% over the following seven years. The song is also on course for another strong year in 2026, suggesting that interest in Mathosa’s catalogue continues to develop rather than simply benefiting from a short-lived resurgence. Streaming platforms have changed how audiences discover older music, allowing established songs to return to public attention through playlists, recommendations and renewed cultural interest. Shekhinah’s interpretation arrives at a time when the original is already demonstrating its ability to remain relevant in the digital era.

The audience for “I Love Music” also demonstrates how music can move across generational boundaries. Listeners aged 35 to 44 make up the largest age group for the track, followed by listeners aged 18 to 24 and those aged 30 to 34. Men account for 63% of the song’s streams, although the track continues to attract listeners from Gen Z, millennials and Gen X. This broad audience indicates that the appeal of “I Love Music” extends beyond the generation that first encountered it when it was released. The continued interest among younger listeners also shows how streaming can help bridge the gap between established South African artists and audiences who were not necessarily part of the original release era.

Gauteng remains a major centre of activity for the song, with Johannesburg accounting for a particularly significant portion of its South African streams. The city has generated more than 700 000 streams, representing almost half of the track’s streams in the country. Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion and Midrand collectively contribute more than 75% of the song’s South African streams, highlighting the strength of its audience in Gauteng. Other major cities, including Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha, also rank among the leading locations for the track. These figures demonstrate that while Johannesburg is the strongest individual market, “I Love Music” continues to connect with listeners across different parts of South Africa.

Shekhinah’s involvement gives the Spotify Singles release particular significance because she brings her own contemporary artistic identity to a song associated with Lebo Mathosa. Rather than simply reproducing the original recording, the reinterpretation creates a meeting point between two different periods in South African music. Mathosa’s catalogue represents an important era in the country’s dance music landscape, while Shekhinah has established herself as a prominent contemporary vocalist and songwriter. Her participation allows a younger generation of music fans to encounter a familiar South African classic through a new artistic perspective. It also creates an opportunity for longtime fans of Mathosa to hear one of her recognised songs approached by another leading South African female artist.

The release forms part of Spotify Singles, a recording series designed to give artists space to reinterpret existing songs or introduce original material. The format allows established recordings to be presented in new ways while retaining their connection to the artists and musical moments that originally made them significant. In the case of “I Love Music”, Shekhinah’s version creates a direct link between her current sound and Mathosa’s enduring catalogue. The project also demonstrates how streaming platforms can support musical discovery beyond the release of brand-new songs. A reinterpretation can encourage listeners to explore both the new recording and the original work that inspired it.

The timing of the release is closely connected to Spotify’s EQUAL initiative, which launched in 2021 with a focus on supporting women artists and addressing gender disparities in the music industry. The programme operates across several markets, including Sub-Saharan Africa, giving women musicians greater visibility through Spotify’s platform. The fifth anniversary provides an opportunity to recognise the achievements of women artists while continuing to draw attention to the challenges they face within the industry. Shekhinah’s reinterpretation of a song by another influential South African woman artist fits naturally into that wider objective. It places two generations of female musical talent within the same conversation while celebrating the continued influence of women in South African music.

Jodie Tabisher, Spotify’s representative in the market, highlighted the way South African music can evolve while retaining its cultural importance. She noted that great South African music can be rediscovered and find new listeners long after its original release. Her comments reflect the story behind “I Love Music”, which has continued to generate streams and playlist appearances many years after it first reached audiences. Shekhinah’s new interpretation adds another chapter to that story by introducing the song to listeners through a contemporary voice. The release therefore celebrates Mathosa’s legacy while also demonstrating how established music can remain relevant when artists reinterpret it for new audiences.

The renewed interest in older South African catalogue music is part of a broader shift driven by streaming. Platforms such as Spotify allow listeners to move easily between new releases and recordings from previous decades, while algorithmic recommendations can surface songs that might otherwise remain outside a listener’s usual music choices. User-generated playlists also play an important role because they can place older songs alongside contemporary recordings and expose them to audiences from different age groups. The performance of “I Love Music” illustrates the potential impact of this environment, particularly when a song already carries strong cultural recognition. Shekhinah’s new version can further strengthen that connection by creating another entry point for listeners to explore the original.

For Shekhinah, the release represents an opportunity to participate in the preservation and reinterpretation of South African musical heritage while continuing to express her own artistic identity. For Lebo Mathosa’s catalogue, it provides another avenue through which “I Love Music” can reach audiences almost 20 years after its original release. The song’s strong streaming figures, extensive playlist presence and cross-generational audience demonstrate that its relevance has not disappeared with time. The continued growth in South Africa also points to the lasting relationship audiences have with music that forms part of the country’s cultural memory. As streaming continues to reshape music discovery, reinterpretations such as Shekhinah’s version can help ensure that influential recordings remain part of the conversation.

Shekhinah’s interpretation of “I Love Music” ultimately brings together legacy, contemporary artistry and the evolving way audiences discover music. The release celebrates the work of Lebo Mathosa while giving Shekhinah an opportunity to place her own creative stamp on a recognised South African dance classic. Its connection to Spotify’s EQUAL initiative also reinforces the importance of highlighting women artists and their contributions across generations. With the original song continuing to attract millions of streams, thousands of playlist appearances and listeners across multiple age groups, its cultural and digital life remains strong. Shekhinah’s new version adds another chapter to that story and gives both longtime fans and younger listeners a fresh reason to connect with “I Love Music” and the legacy of Lebo Mathosa.

Shekhinah’s version of ‘I Love Music’ is available on Spotify

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