September 13th 2023.
Nigerian artist Rema made history this week when he became the first recipient of the Best Afrobeats award at the 2023 VMAs. This is a monumental achievement, as it is the first time the award has been given out and it highlights the rising influence of the Afrobeats genre on the mainstream music scene.
Rema shared his feelings about the achievement with The Hollywood Reporter, expressing how “blessed” he was to be a nominee and how the collaboration with Selena Gomez opened up “huge” opportunities. His song “Calm Down” with Gomez peaked at No. 3 in Billboard’s Hot 100 and has spent over 50 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats songs chart.
Just days after Rema’s VMAs win, Spotify announced that “Calm Down” had reached over 1 billion streams, making it the first song from an African artist to join Spotify’s Billions Club. Rema expressed his gratitude for the achievement, crediting fans, DJs, and everyone else who made it possible.
Rema’s win at the VMAs is a momentous occasion both for him as an artist and for the Afrobeats culture. It is a sign of the genre’s growing influence and will no doubt open up more opportunities for other African artists.
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