Rema Makes History as Rave & Roses Becomes First African Album to Surpass 3 Billion Spotify Streams

By Ufuoma Omojirhe

Nigerian music sensation Rema has achieved a historic milestone as his debut album, Rave & Roses (Ultra version), becomes the first African project to surpass 3 billion streams on Spotify.

The album’s global hit single Calm Down—particularly its remix featuring American pop star Selena Gomez—played a major role in the record-breaking feat, contributing over 2 billion streams alone. The remaining 20 tracks on the album collectively added just under a billion streams.

Trailing behind Rema’s achievement is South African star Tyla, whose self-titled debut album has garnered over 2 billion streams, securing her place among Africa’s top-streamed artists.

Other African albums that have crossed the 1 billion streaming mark include Burna Boy’s African Giant and Love, Damini, Wizkid’s Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition, and CKay’s CKay the First.