In a breaking news by 9am news nigeira, Spotify has revealed that “Calm Down,” a song by Nigerian singer Rema featuring Selena Gomez, has acheived a milestone by becoming a part of the Billions Club, an exclusive group of songs that have amassed one billion plays on the platform. This accomplishment marks the first time a song with an African musician at the forefront has amassed one billion Spotify plays.
9am reports that according to the company’s data, the song “Calm Down” by rema hit the milestone and has been added to over a million Spotify playlists and has received the greatest amount of streams from the US, India, Mexico, Brazil, and the UK. Rema is among the top 10 Afrobeats musicians on the platform in terms of streams.
In a report by 9am news correspondence Ogasabi reveals that Rema commented “It’s a blessing. It’s not just a big win for me, my team, and family; it’s also a big one for the culture,” said Rema. “I feel really happy, and I’m really proud of the fans as well for going back to the song and putting people onto the song. Shout-out to the DJs and everyone who made this possible.”
Rema’s achievement is indeed amazing, and it represents a turning point for both the gifted musician and the Afrobeats scene as a whole. Victor Okpala, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, stated, “It’s evident that the genre is making a significant impact and gaining substantial influence on the global music stage, and we’re thrilled to have Spotify continue to support it.” Rema, one of Nigeria’s fastest developing musicians, is a “worthy champion” for Spotify’s Billions Club. His elevation to this elite ranks in the club represents a turning point for Afrobeats music as it develops and expands.
However, Spotify also highlights how musical cooperation may enable internationally recognized musicians of all genres connect with new fans. “Calm Down,” a perfect example of cross-cultural musical fusion, combines a compelling Afrobeat rhythm and melody with the vocals of Rema and Selena to create “a bona fide billion-strong hit.” The song calm down was first released to the internet in August 2022.
