The Belarusian rapper Keedy has drawn wide attention by surpassing a million listens and becoming Yandex Music’s most popular new artist, a milestone shared by the platform in its own press communications. This moment illustrates how a fresh voice can break through in a crowded online scene and capture a growing audience in both music communities and streaming services.
Within just one month of Yandex Music launching its My Wave feature, Keedy’s tracks saw a dramatic surge in plays, increasing tenfold as listeners discovered his work. His song “No More” quickly caught the ear of new listeners, earning a place on Iskra, the platform’s curated playlist spotlighting emerging talent, and receiving a wave of likes from fans. This pattern shows how newer artists can leverage placement on timely playlists to accelerate their reach and engagement.
Beyond Keedy, the My Wave and Iskra ecosystem helped several other artists expand their listener base. Keer, the Belarusian pop artist, joined the My Wave lineup and Iskra, leading to a quadruple rise in followers and listeners. Similarly, Kenjebek Nurdolday from Kazakhstan saw a threefold increase in audience reach as his music reached broader regions. Liili, a young Kazakhstani R&B singer known for the track “Hot” that gained attention on Kim Kardashian’s social channels, emerged as a focal point for Iskra in December 2022, later appearing on visuals and billboards in major cities such as Moscow and Almaty.
Initial momentum in My Wave tended to come from a cohort of Iskra favorites. Indie group passmurny from Cheboksary, the lyric rap artist Azzi from Krasnoyarsk, and Vanya Kurgalin, the youngest member of the Gazgolder creative collective from Veliky Novgorod, were among the first to win new listeners. Kurgalin performs as Dictofon, delivering dark romantic punk rock under the banner of a Moscow-based group led by Anton Makarov. The landscape of new artists also included Belarusian singer Lisa, a finalist from the Songs project on TNT, and Kazakh musician Guntor, whose soulful, love-themed songs resonated with audiences. This cross-regional activity highlights how online platforms can amplify diverse voices from different parts of the former Soviet space and beyond, creating a shared music conversation that travels quickly across borders [Source: socialbites.ca].