Duolingo taps NIKI to turn songs into lessons

Duolingo has partnered with Indonesian pop star NIKI to launch a campaign aimed at encouraging English learning among Gen Z through music and digital content.

Running from 26 to 31 March, the initiative uses song lyrics and social media content to make language learning more relatable, reflecting how younger audiences increasingly pick up language through pop culture and online interactions. Duolingo said Indonesia remains one of its fastest-growing markets, contributing to more than 133 million monthly active users globally. “What excites us about this collaboration is how naturally language and culture come together. At Duolingo, our teaching approach is built around short, engaging experiences that help people pick up language through real-world context and repeated exposure. Music works in a similar way. When a lyric sticks in your head, you’re practicing vocabulary, rhythm, and expression without even realizing it. By working with NIKI, we hope to celebrate those everyday moments when language clicks, turning something as simple as listening to a song into a step forward in someone’s learning journey,” said Irene Tong, regional marketing manager for Southeast Asia.

The campaign features a parody of NIKI’s song “Backburner” led by Duolingo’s mascot, alongside a social content series where the artist explains English expressions and slang in her lyrics. “When I write songs, I think a lot about how words carry emotion. Sometimes a single line can say more than a whole conversation. It’s really exciting to see how Duolingo combines language learning with music like this, because songs are often where people first pick up new expressions and ways of describing what they feel. If this collaboration helps fans connect with the meaning behind the lyrics a little more deeply, that’s really special to me,” NIKI said. The campaign also includes outdoor installations in Jakarta designed to connect pop lyrics with language learning, as Duolingo expands efforts to integrate education into everyday digital experiences.