Nigeria’s Rema makes history and reaches one billion streams on Spotify | City Press
Nigerian muso Rema breaks record and becomes the first African artist to reach one billion streams on Spotify.
Gallo Images/Getty Images
Reaching one billion streams on any platform is no easy feat. Nigerian afrobeats singer Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema to his fans, finally reached that goal on Spotify with his hit song, Calm Down, which came out in 2022.
Rema has become one of Africa’s biggest musical exports and one of Nigeria’s fastest-rising stars. The milestone solidifies his place as a heavyweight in the music industry.
READ: Nasty C and the terrifying world of ‘standom’
The artist’s career began in 2019 after he was signed by Nigerian music record label the Supreme Mavin Dynasty. His rise to fame seemed to happen overnight, with his debut EP, Rema, topping the Apple music charts and peaking at number one.
Afrobeats have proven to be one of Africa’s best offerings when it comes to music, with artists, including Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Wizkid, becoming top-selling musicians in the global market.
At just 23, Rema has achieved what many artists can only dream of and what takes most artists years if not decades to achieve. His song Calm Down has become the first African artist-led track to reach a billion streams on Spotify.
“It’s a blessing. It’s not just a big win for me, my team and my family, it’s also a big one for the culture,” Rema said when he heard the good news.
READ: E! Entertainment to bring black excellence to the small screen with new series Black Pop
Rema also ranks in Spotify’s top 10 most streamed afrobeats artists, making the milestone only that much sweeter. At the time of its release, Calm Down hit the ground running, when he decided to take it a step further with a feature from US actress and musician Selena Gomez. The world responded with high praise.
“There is power in cross-cultural musical fusion, especially in today’s interconnected world,” Rema added.
Rema has a growing influence that is shaping the world of afrobeats, and cementing Africa’s place in the global music industry. Through it all, he has remained focused on his dreams with great determination to continue to rise in the ranks of the music business.
Rema’s unique sound has landed him on the world’s biggest stages and garnered him the support of a magnificently diverse audience.
Despite its African origins, Calm Down has made impressions in the USA, India, Mexico, Brazil and the UK, with those being the countries with the highest streams of the song, respectively. For now, Rema is enjoying the success of his song and its remix while also meticulously plotting his next move.
Rema remains humble and with great gratitude to the fans who have made his dreams a reality. He said:
“I feel really happy and I’m really proud of the fans as well for going back to the song and putting people on the song. Shout out to the DJs and everyone who made this possible.”