Nigerian music has continued to gain global recognition as more international listeners embrace the Afrobeats genre. One of the most prominent names in this regard is Rema, a talented Nigerian musician who has been making waves on the international music scene. His hit single ‘Calm Down’ has now gone double diamond in France, a remarkable achievement for any artist.
The single was released in February 2022 as part of Rema’s debut album ‘Raves & Roses.’ The remix of the song featuring American Pop star Selena Gomez has been widely regarded as one of Afrobeats’ most significant international exports. The song has already received diamond certification from SNEP, France’s official music certification body, and has now achieved double diamond status by surpassing 500,000 in sales.
The success of ‘Calm Down’ extends beyond France, as the song has also been certified in other countries, including Switzerland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It has also received an RIAA platinum plaque, highlighting its status as one of the best-selling Afrobeats songs in the US.
The popularity of ‘Calm Down’ has also been evident in its chart performance, breaking records as the highest-charting African song on the Billboard Hot 100 with a peak position of NO. 8. This accomplishment surpassed the previous record holder, Wizkid’s ‘Essence’ remix featuring Tems and Justin Bieber, which peaked at NO. 9.
Furthermore, the music video for ‘Calm Down’ is now the most-watched Afrobeats music video on YouTube, with over 427 million views. The remix and the original version have also amassed over 2 billion streams across all platforms, which is a testament to the song’s appeal.