After an impressive 57-week run, Rema’s hit track “Calm Down” has finally exited the Billboard Hot 100.
Chart Data, a music monitoring platform, declared it a historic feat, marking it as the longest-charting and most successful African song to date.
The previous record holder was Wizkid’s “Essence,” with a 35-week run.
“Calm Down” made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in September the previous year, seven months after its release.
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Described by Billboard magazine analysts as a “melancholy slow jam with a subtle hypnotic draw,” the song garnered global attention and enthusiasm from music enthusiasts.
One factor contributing to its widespread popularity was the collaboration with American pop star Selena Gomez, even though her contribution was modest.
The song reached its peak at number three on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100, marking the highest position for a lead Afrobeats artist.
Fans of both Rema and Selena celebrated the song’s historic achievements, including breaking records as the most streamed Afrobeats song on Spotify, the first African artist-led track to hit one billion streams on the platform.
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Additionally, “Calm Down” secured its place in history by spending a year on the Billboard Afrobeats chart and achieving the status of the most-watched music video by a Nigerian artist on YouTube, with 673 million views.
This international success has elevated 23-year-old Rema to the ranks of prominent Afrobeats artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido. Notably, the song received recognition at the MTV VMA Awards, winning the inaugural Best Afrobeats Song category, surpassing other popular Afrobeats contenders.