Nigerian music artist Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has set a remarkable record as his global hit “Calm Down Remix” centremerican pop star Selena Gomez becomes the first Afrobeats song to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube.

Released on Gomez’s YouTube channel two years ago, the “Calm Down Remix” has steadily climbed in popularity, ultimately achieving the billion-view mark—a first for any Nigerian artist.

This achievement reflects the rapid growth and mainstream acceptance of Afrobeats, a genre that originated in Nigeria and has since taken the world by storm.

The remix, which showcases Rema’s unique sound with Gomez’s soothing vocals, brought the song massive global attention, drawing in fans from various backgrounds and regions.

In addition to its YouTube success, “Calm Down Remix” holds another record as the fastest African song to reach 1 billion views on the platform, taking only two years to hit this milestone.

The original version of “Calm Down” has also proven immensely popular, amassing over 619 million views on YouTube, reflecting Rema’s ability to create music that resonates with both African and international audiences.

The remix made news on other platforms too, and in August last year, it achieved another groundbreaking record, becoming the first African song to cross 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Currently, it has accumulated more than 1.5 billion streams on the platform, showcasing its enduring popularity and the cross-cultural appeal of the collaboration.