Nigerian singer-songwriter Rema celebrates his latest remix, “Calm Down,” featuring American singer Selena Gomez which reached eight on Billboard’s Hot 100 top 10.
The singer is quick to post his latest accomplishment on social media, saying, “Trying to hold in the tears, I know how hard I worked to get my sound here; I’m grateful to God for how far I’ve come. Love to the one who believed, love to the Queen @selenagomez.”
This would mark Rema’s first top-ten hit and Gomez’s ninth. It was stated in The Guardian that this collaboration came from a place of friendship, “It was not on some label vibe…She’s been rocking with my music for a while. I dropped the offer, and she embraced it.”
The original version of “Calm Down” was released on February 11, 2022, from his debut album Rave & Roses, which grew in popularity across Europe, reaching number one from Belgium stations Ultratop 50, Dutch Top 40, and Dutch Single Top 100. While the song has risen in popularity in various countries, the Vanguard states, “This is a new height as this is the first ever Nigerian song to chart at Top 10 in Billboard Hot 100’s history.” The song has even reached a whopping 400M views on Youtube and other platforms.
The remix was released on August 25, 2022, becoming an instant success to Western audiences. Rema points out that while the original song had been “going No. 1 in countries I didn’t even know about,” it was Selena who helped the song crossover, taking it to the next level. Vanguard Writer Adegboyega Remmy Adeleye thought Gomez’s collaboration created a “melodic tune complements Rema’s vibe perfectly, maintaining the same energy as the original release.”
Rema tells The Guardian, “I’m happy the western people are hopping on this sound; I don’t see another way it can work out…It’s like an artist trying to blow up in Nigeria- you got to work with Nigerian artists. I don’t think anyone should be called a culture vulture. We just have to focus on knowing that we were the ones who started it.”
