Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ becomes the first African song to spend a full year on the Billboard Hot 100.

Rema is one of the most well-known African singers on the international stage, with his mega-hit tune ‘Calm Down’ topping charts and winning certifications in a number of countries.

The tune has made history by becoming the first African song to stay 52 weeks (one calendar year) on the Billboard Hot 100.

‘Calm Down,’ featuring Selena Gomez, fell five places to No. 11 (chart week September 9, 2023). The huge smash hit enters its 52nd week on the list after reaching at No. 3, making it the highest ranking Nigerian song and the second highest charting African song, trailing only Hugh Masekala’s 1968 single ‘Grazing in the Grass,’ which peaked at No. 1.

Since its release as one of the lead singles from Rema’s debut album ‘Raves & Roses’ in February 2022, ‘Calm Down’ has had huge success, which was aided by the Selena Gomez-assisted remix.

The song is the most played Afrobeats song in Spotify ever, the most watched music video by a Nigerian artist on YouTube, and the most popular African song worldwide.

Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ was also nominated for Song of the Year and Collaboration of the Year at the 2023 Video Music Awards.