At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, American pop diva Selena Gomez and Nigerian music sensation Rema made history by winning the first-ever Best Afrobeats award for their number-one hit "Calm Down."
This victory not only confirmed their international dominance but also emphasized the genre's escalating importance on a worldwide scale.
Their ground-breaking success also includes Rema, the first African artist to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams with her song "Calm Down," which features Selena Gomez. In addition to introducing Afrobeats to a worldwide audience, their partnership demonstrated the genre's allure beyond all boundaries and cultures.
Rema expressed his gratitude to his passionate followers, his committed crew, and the amazing Selena Gomez in a beautiful acceptance speech. In addition, he paid tribute to the Afrobeats pioneers, recognizing their influence on the development of the genre's widespread popularity. Rema praised the current generation of musicians for their unwavering efforts to advance Afrobeats.
"Calm Down" was first made available on February 11, 2022, and it was the second single from Rema's debut studio album, "Rave & Roses." The remix with Selena Gomez, which was made available on August 25, 2022, was what brought the song international attention. Rema's first career Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit was made possible by the remix's enormous success, marking a key turning point in his already distinguished career.