By Milcah Tanimu
Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ remix featuring Selena Gomez has made history, becoming the first Afrobeats song to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. This landmark achievement, recorded on November 9, 2024, comes just over two years after its release on September 7, 2022.
The song now holds the record as the most-viewed Nigerian music video on the platform, surpassing the original version, which has garnered 619 million views.
‘Calm Down’ has already broken several records. It became the first Nigerian song to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify. Additionally, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard charts, marking the highest position for an Afrobeats song in history. The track also spent over a year on the Billboard charts, cementing its place as a global hit.
The song has also achieved 7X RIAA platinum certification, making it the second most certified RIAA plaque. Furthermore, the remix won Rema the 2023 MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats, and the track’s success continues to highlight his rise as a global superstar. It has topped charts and even earned a spot in the Guinness World Records.
‘Calm Down’ showcases Afrobeats’ growing dominance worldwide, as Rema continues to break new ground for the genre.
