In a meteoric rise since its August 2022 release, Rema\u2019s music collaboration, \u201cCalm Down\u201d, featuring Selena Gomez, now has the distinction of being the first-ever joint music effort led by an African artist to amass a billion streams on Spotify, according to the streamer.<\/p>\n
\u201cRema, one of Nigeria\u2019s fastest-rising stars, is joining the Billions Club\u201d, Spotify announced on its news site, For the Record.<\/p>\n
The site also recognised Rema \u201cas one of the top 10 most-streamed Afrobeats artists on the platform\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the year, CKay\u2019s solo track, \u201cLove Nwantiti\u201d, achieved a similar feat in the solo track category.<\/p>\n
Rema owes much to the colossal support from the global diaspora with Spotify\u2019s statement revealing that the US, India, Mexico, Brazil, and the UK are at the forefront of \u201cCalm Down\u201d downloads, swelling the streaming numbers for the collaboration.<\/p>\n
The achievements underscore the ever-increasing allure of Afrobeats and of African music in general.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clear that the genre is making a significant impact and gaining substantial influence on the global music stage,\u201d Victor Okpala, Spotify\u2019s artist and label partnerships manager for West Africa, said about Afrobeats.<\/p>\n
With over 13 billion streams on Spotify in 2022 alone, Afrobeats\u2019 rise has been scorching, with a staggering 550% surge in streams between 2017 and 2022.<\/p>\n
Early indicators already suggest that 2022\u2019s numbers might be eclipsed.<\/p>\n
A surge in streaming platforms that make global audiences more accessible to African artists, along with the power of social media has fuelled the growth of the music industry in Africa.<\/p>\n
This industry is enjoying unprecedented traction, with Afrobeats luminaries headlining global events, delivering performances that rewrite the record books.<\/p>\n
As Christine Osazuwa, a Nigerian strategy lead at Shoobs, a music and events tech startup, pointed out, the current technological surge has merely amplified a potential that has long dwelled on the continent\u2014and was evident in a thriving local scene long before bursting onto the world stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore Burna Boy sold out stadiums, his anthems rocked the dance floors at Nigerian weddings in DC and Atlanta. His videos were exchanged through WhatsApp messages. He was hailed as the G.O.A.T. long before he graced the stage of Madison Square Garden,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis entire ecosystem thrived despite lower budgets, modest press coverage, smaller DSPs, and often formidable adversity, all because the lifeblood is community,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
With \u2018Calm Down\u2019 gaining even more traction on platforms like YouTube, where streaming views are currently soaring at 629 million, there\u2019s much more to anticipate from this 23-year-old prodigy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a blessing. It\u2019s not just a monumental victory for me, my team, and family; it\u2019s a triumph for the culture,\u201d Rema shared in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m genuinely elated, and I\u2019m tremendously proud of my fans for rediscovering the song and introducing it to others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Spotify\u2019s top 10 exported Afrobeats artist list also includes Burna Boy, Tems, Ckay, Wizkid, Fireboy DML, Ayra Starr, Libianca, Omah Lay, and Oxlade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rema\u2019s achievement of reaching a billion streams stands as a powerful testament to the global influence of Afrobeats worldwide. It also hints at a far larger and more dynamic African music scene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":33586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,31],"tags":[7,14,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-33589","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-music","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-music"},"yoast_head":"\n