Rema’s hit single ‘Calm Down’ is making waves once again, now edging closer to becoming Africa’s first RIAA diamond-certified record. Since its release in 2022 as a standout track from his debut album Raves & Roses, ‘Calm Down’ has sold an impressive 7,000,000 units in the US, earning it an RIAA 7-time platinum plaque.
This achievement underscores the track’s massive success and its landmark status as the most commercially successful African song in the US. The remix, featuring Selena Gomez, has not only captured hearts globally but has also set records, including being the first African song to surpass a billion streams in the US.
.@heisrema and @selenagomez's "Calm Down" has now sold over 7 million units in the US. pic.twitter.com/BYDHjRJpeA
— chart data (@chartdata) August 1, 2024
‘Calm Down’ enjoyed a remarkable run on the Billboard Hot 100, spending over 52 weeks on the chart and peaking at No. 3. This made it the highest-charting Nigerian song ever and the second highest for an African song, just behind Hugh Masekela’s 1968 hit ‘Grazing In The Grass,’ which topped the chart.
With over 1 billion streams on Spotify alone, ‘Calm Down’ holds the record for the most streamed Afrobeats song and has surpassed 2 billion streams across both its original and remix versions. It also boasts the title of the most viewed Nigerian music video on YouTube, with nearly 928 million views.
As ‘Calm Down’ achieves 7x platinum status, Rema is inching closer to making history as the first African artist to secure a diamond certification in the US. Following the success of this record-breaking single, Rema has continued to impress with his EP Ravage and his sophomore album HEIS.
