Rema’s ‘Rave & Roses’ Becomes the First African Album to Surpass 3 Billion Spotify Streams

In a groundbreaking achievement for African music, Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Rema has set a remarkable streaming record on Spotify. His debut album, Rave & Roses (Ultra version), has officially become the first African music album to cross the 3 billion total streams milestone on the global streaming platform.

The major force behind this extraordinary accomplishment is the album’s lead hit, “Calm Down (Remix)”, which features renowned American pop singer Selena Gomez. This cross-continental collaboration made history in 2023 as the first African track to reach over 1 billion streams on Spotify, boosting Rema’s global visibility and cementing his place as a trailblazer in the Afrobeats genre.

The combined versions of “Calm Down” alone account for over 2 billion of the album’s total streams. The remaining 20 tracks on Rave & Roses (Ultra) contribute the balance, pushing the album’s cumulative streams beyond the 3 billion mark.

Following closely behind in the rankings of the most-streamed African albums on Spotify is South African breakout star Tyla, whose self-titled debut album has already amassed over 2 billion streams—a notable feat in its own right.

Other notable African albums that have crossed the 1 billion stream threshold on Spotify include:

• Burna Boy – African Giant
• Burna Boy – Love, Damini
• Wizkid – Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition
• CKay – CKay the First

These records not only showcase the growing international influence of African artists but also emphasize the powerful evolution of Afrobeats and Amapiano across global charts and music streaming platforms.