Rema breaks records with 3bn Spotify streams, global impact on Afrobeats, and a No. 1 UK chart hit
By the time July rolled into September 2025, few names resonated as powerfully in the global Afrobeats scene as Rema.
Also read: Spotify’s ‘Culture in Motion’ Captures Afrobeats’ Growing Influence
The Benin-born superstar, already a familiar face from Lagos to Los Angeles, took his influence to new heights this quarter, achieving record-breaking numbers, earning international accolades, and solidifying his status among the greats of modern African music exports.
3 billion Spotify streams
On August 7, 2025, Rema’s debut album ‘Rave & Roses (Ultra)’ made history, becoming the first African album to surpass three billion streams on Spotify.
This landmark achievement solidified the project’s reputation as not just a Nigerian success but a global cultural phenomenon.
Unsurprisingly, the runaway success of ‘Calm Down (Remix)’ featuring Selena Gomez carried much of the weight, with over 2 billion streams attributed to its original and remix versions combined.
Yet what makes the milestone even more impressive is that the rest of the album’s 20 tracks collectively accounted for more than a billion streams themselves, proof that Rema’s catalogue is more than just one monster hit.
Industry analysts have noted that the streaming success of ‘Rave & Roses’ mirrors the rise of Afrobeats as a global staple.
“It’s not just an album; it’s a blueprint for how African music travels today,” said one Lagos-based music journalist.
Baby is No. 1 on Spotify’s global impact list
Rema’s momentum did not slow down in the first half of the year, as his track ‘Baby (Is It a Crime)’ was crowned the most exported Nigerian song on Spotify’s Global Impact List for the first half of 2025.
That recognition captures how deeply Rema’s music resonates across borders. By mid-2025, Baby had accumulated about 34.6 million Spotify streams outside Nigeria, cementing Rema’s reputation as a global ambassador of Nigerian sound.
The choice of Baby is telling. Unlike the crossover-heavy ‘Calm Down’, the song leans closer to the intimate, melodic side of Afrobeats, proving that Rema’s export value is not tied to just international collaborations but to the raw pull of his artistry.
FUN Climbs to No. 1 on the UK Afrobeats Chart
The final feather in Rema’s cap this quarter came from across the Atlantic. In late September, his single ‘FUN’ debuted at #1 on the UK Official Afrobeats Singles Chart, dethroning South African star Tyla’s ‘Is It’, which had enjoyed weeks at the summit.
The UK remains a crucial market for Afrobeats artists, not only for its sizeable African diaspora but also for its role as a cultural bridge into Europe.
By topping the UK chart, Rema reasserted his dominance in a space often crowded with strong Nigerian contemporaries like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido and Asake.
This period is, in many ways, one of reinforcement for Rema. His streaming supremacy, global recognition, and chart dominance underline the longevity of his breakout success while also pointing toward the genre’s future.
Afrobeats has long been touted as “the next big thing”. But in Rema’s hands, it is the now.
Also read: 17th Headies: Honouring Afrobeats’ Exciting Talents
His artistry demonstrates that Nigerian music is steadily setting standards that make global success routine rather than exceptional.
