Rema Makes History as ‘Calm Down’ Surpasses 2 Billion Streams on Spotify

Rema, one of Nigeria’s leading artists in the global exportation of Afrobeats, has achieved a historic milestone with his hit single ‘Calm Down.’ The song has now surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify, making it the most streamed song by an African artist on the platform.

The 2 billion stream count includes both versions of the single: the original, which has over 590 million streams, and the remix featuring Selena Gomez, which has crossed 1.41 billion streams. This achievement solidifies Rema’s place in the annals of music history, particularly for African and Nigerian music.

In 2023, ‘Calm Down’ became the first Afrobeats single to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify, marking a significant moment for the genre. The song also holds the Guinness World Record for being the first-ever number one on the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) chart.

Other notable records set by ‘Calm Down’ include achieving the highest peak (#3) for a Nigerian artist on the Billboard Hot 100 and maintaining a presence on the chart for over 52 weeks, the longest duration for any Nigerian artist.