By Cynthia Abah
Rema’s inaugural album has attained the prestigious diamond certification in France, marking a significant milestone in his career. Two years post its release, ‘Raves & Roses’ secured the diamond status from SNEP, with over 500,000 units sold, as announced through SNEP’s official Instagram account on March 25, 2023. The album, which debuted in March 2022, garnered anticipation with hit singles like ‘Soundgasm’ and ‘Calm Down.’
The remarkable success of ‘Calm Down’ significantly contributed to the album’s triumph, particularly with the Selena Gomez remix propelling it to global acclaim. Notably, ‘Calm Down’ stands out as the first and only Afrobeats track to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams and boasts over 830 million views on YouTube, setting a Nigerian record. Moreover, it holds the distinction of being the highest-charting Nigerian song on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 3 and maintaining a presence on the chart for over 52 weeks.
In addition to the album’s overall success, ‘Calm Down’ achieved diamond certification in France, joining the ranks of Afrobeats hits like Burna Boy’s ‘On The Low’ and ‘Last Last,’ Ayra Starr’s ‘Rush,’ Oxlade’s ‘Kulosa,’ and CKay’s ‘Love Nwantiti.’ With the diamond certification bestowed upon ‘Raves & Roses’ by SNEP, Rema becomes only the second Nigerian artist after Burna Boy to receive France’s highest certification, following Burna Boy’s Grammy-nominated album ‘African Giant.’
