Rema and Selena Gomez gave us one of the biggest viral hits of 2023 with “Calm Down”—and made Spotify history along the way. About a year after its release, this catchy bop reached one billion streams on Spotify, becoming the first song led by an African artist to do so.
Rema originally released “Calm Down” as a part of his debut album Rave & Roses, and the song found an even bigger audience after he recorded a remix with Selena Gomez last year. “Calm Down” went on to peak at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and top the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts—and that was just the beginning.
Spotify officially announced that “Calm Down” joined their Billions Club, becoming the first song led by an African artist to reach this coveted number.
“This milestone is absolutely remarkable for Rema, marking a pivotal moment for this talented artist and the entire Afrobeats community. It’s clear that the genre is making a significant impact and gaining substantial influence on the global music stage,” stated Victor Okpala, Spotify’s manager of artist and label partnerships for West Africa.
Rema thanked his fans for giving this song the push to the top of Spotify’s charts and described its success as “a blessing” and a “big win” for himself, his team, his family, and the Afrobeats culture as a whole.
