Nigerian music star Rema has just made streaming history. His debut album, Rave & Roses (Ultra), is now the first African project ever to cross the 3 billion streams milestone on Spotify.
The biggest driving force behind this record? The monster hit Calm Down — especially its remix with American pop icon Selena Gomez. The track alone became the first African song to reach 1 billion Spotify streams last year, and between its original and remix versions, it has pulled in over 2 billion streams for the album. The remaining 20 tracks on Rave & Roses (Ultra) together contributed just under a billion more streams.
Rema’s achievement puts him ahead of South African sensation Tyla, whose self-titled debut album holds second place with over 2 billion streams. Other African heavyweights in the billion-stream club include Burna Boy (African Giant, Love, Damini), Wizkid (Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition), and CKay (CKay the First).
With Rave & Roses now sitting on a global streaming throne, Rema continues to prove he’s not just representing Afrobeats — he’s redefining it on the world stage.
