Nigerian music star Rema has made history as his debut album, Rave & Roses (Ultra version), becomes the first African project to exceed 3 billion streams on Spotify.
The album’s success is largely driven by its lead single, Calm Down particularly the remix featuring American pop star Selena Gomez, which became the first African song to reach 1 billion streams on the platform in 2023.
The Calm Down original and remix versions together account for over 2 billion of the album’s total streams. The remaining 20 tracks on the album make up less than 1 billion streams combined.
On the list of most-streamed African albums on Spotify, Rave & Roses (Ultra) is followed by South African artist Tyla’s self-titled debut album, which has amassed over 2 billion streams.
Other African projects that have crossed the 1 billion mark include:
- African Giant and Love, Damini by Burna Boy
- Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition by Wizkid
- CKay the First by CKay
Rema’s milestone further cements his position as one of Africa’s leading global music exports.