African album "Rave & Roses" by Rema achieves milestone of 3 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first African album to reach this figure on the platform.
In a groundbreaking achievement for African music, Nigerian artist Rema's debut album Rave & Roses (Ultra) has become the first African project to surpass 3 billion streams on Spotify. The record-breaking moment was confirmed on Thursday.
The album, released under Mavin Records and Jonzing World, is an expanded version of Rema's 2022 debut. It features the crown jewel of the album, Calm Down (Remix), which boasts over 2 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first African song to surpass 1 billion streams on the platform.
Calm Down (Remix), featuring Selena Gomez, is a significant contributor to the overall success of Rave & Roses (Ultra). Between the original and remix versions, Calm Down accounts for more than half of the album's total streams on Spotify. The rest of the album's 20 tracks combine for the remaining 1 billion streams.
The success of Rave & Roses (Ultra) has cemented Rema's position at the forefront of Afrobeats' international takeover. The album, a genre-blending project that folds Afrobeats into pop, trap, and R&B, dominated charts in the US, UK, India, and across Latin America.
Rema's feat now sits at the top of Spotify's all-time African albums chart. The Nigerian music superstars Burna Boy, Wizkid, and CKay have albums that have crossed the billion-stream mark on Spotify, but none have reached the 3 billion milestone achieved by Rave & Roses (Ultra).
South African singer Tyla's self-titled debut has amassed over 2 billion streams, but it is Wizkid who holds the lead among African artists with the highest overall Spotify streams worldwide, with a historic milestone of 9 billion streams across all credits on the platform.
The success of Rave & Roses (Ultra) proves the commercial viability of African albums on a scale never seen before, marking a significant step forward for the global recognition and acceptance of African music.
