17th October, 2023
By Victoria Oluwayemi
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Rema’s hit track “Calm Down” has concluded an impressive 57-week run on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking a historic milestone.
Chart Data, the music monitoring platform, celebrated the record-breaking achievement, hailing “Calm Down” as the lengthiest-charting and most successful African song to date.
This remarkable feat surpassed the previous record held by Wizkid, another notable Nigerian Afrobeats artiste, with his hit “Essence,” which charted for 35 weeks. “Calm Down” made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in September the previous year, approximately seven months after its initial release.
The song’s alluring and melancholic slow jam, described by Billboard magazine’s music analysts as having a subtle, hypnotic allure, has captured the hearts of music enthusiasts worldwide.
Part of the song’s global appeal can be attributed to the involvement of American pop star Selena Gomez, who featured in a minor capacity. “Calm Down” reached its peak at the impressive third position on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100, setting a new standard for Afrobeats artistes as lead performers.
Fans of Rema and Selena Gomez celebrated the historic achievement as the song departed from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Calm Down” has made a considerable impact, breaking numerous records. Just last month, it earned the distinction of being the most-streamed Afrobeats song on Spotify, becoming the first African artiste-led track to accumulate one billion streams on the platform. Spotify recognized this accomplishment with an enthusiastic message of congratulations.
The song has also etched its name in the annals of the Billboard Afrobeats chart, spending an entire year in the rankings. Its music video on YouTube has garnered a staggering 673 million views, establishing it as the most-watched video by a Nigerian artiste.
With its enduring international success, “Calm Down” has propelled Rema, a 23-year-old talent, into the league of celebrated Afrobeats artistes, joining the ranks of Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido.
Notably, the song clinched the inaugural Best Afrobeats Song award at the MTV VMA Awards last month, prevailing over other popular Afrobeats tracks.
