Divine Ikubor, popularly known by his stage name Rema, has become the first African artist to appear on Billboard end-of-the-year album chart.
The Edo-born Afrobeats sensation, who has enjoyed an incredible 2023 with his hit single “Calm Down” topping charts in multiple countries in a feat that has made it the biggest African export yet, has his debut album “Raves & Roses” finishing the year at NO. 157 on the Billboard 2023 end-of-the-year chart.
Boosted by the huge commercial success of his hit single “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez, Rema was ranked at NO. 41 on Billboard’s 2023 end-of-the-year artist chart.
His mega smash hit with Selena Gomez peaked at NO. 3 while also spending over a calendar year on the chart, an unprecedented feat for an African artist.
Rema also finished the year as the second-ranking Afrobeats artist behind Burna Boy.
After becoming the youngest African artist to sell out London’s O2 Arena, Rema was honoured by Spotify for his phenomenal achievement – his hit track “Calm Down”, featuring Selena Gomez reaching an astonishing 1 billion streams on the music streaming platform.
The Billboard end-of-the-year chart is a reflection of Rema’s sensational feat in the United States where he is one of the artists advancing African music.
