Rema Makes History as ‘Raves and Roses’ Earns Gold Record

Nigerian Afropop singer Rema continues to take the music industry by storm. His debut album “Raves & Roses,” released in 2022, has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With this development, he makes history as the first debut album by an African artist to achieve this feat.

Propelled by the massive crossover hit single “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez, “Raves & Roses” has enjoyed remarkable success in the United States. “Calm Down” hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent over 52 weeks in the top spot-on Billboard’s Afrobeats chart. It has since gone double platinum, becoming the most commercially successful Afrobeats crossover track yet.

In addition to going gold, “Raves & Roses” joins Wizkid’s Grammy-nominated “Made In Lagos” as the only Afrobeats albums with RIAA certification. Rema’s early accomplishments at just his early 20s   suggest even greater things to come for the young Nigerian star and the growing Afrobeats genre overall.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2019, Rema has become a leading face of the Afropop movement. With catchy tracks blending hip hop and African sounds, he has helped introduce the Afrobeats sound to American audiences. “Raves & Roses” gold certification proves Rema and Afrobeats have genuine staying power in the industry.

At only the beginning of his career, Rema is already making history. “Raves & Roses” gold record plants his musical flag firmly on US soil. It won’t be the last milestone for the ascendant Nigerian talent.