Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema is first African to perform at Ballon d’Or

Nigerian artist Rema made history at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony by becoming the first African artist to perform at the prestigious event. He delivered a captivating performance of his hit song “Calm Down,” leaving a lasting impression on the football stars in the audience.

The Afrobeats music sensation performed in front of football stars like Lionel Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, Jude Bellingham, and more.

He also shared a video on his Instagram stories while strolling through Paris, where the prestigious French football award event was being held, according to New Times.

Rema’s career reached new heights as he won the Best Afrobeats Song award at the MTV Video Music Awards for his remix of “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez.

This song propelled him to global stardom. He was recently nominated in the Global African Artist and Song of the Year categories at the Trace Africa Awards in Kigali on October 21, where “Calm Down” received recognition.

Rema achieved yet another remarkable success with his latest EP, “Ravage,” which debuted on the charts in over 50 countries within hours of its release on Friday, October 26, 2023.

Born on May 1, 2000, Rema is an Afrobeats singer-songwriter who initially gained recognition with the 2019 release of “Dumebi.”

In 2019, he signed with Jonzig World, a record label affiliated with Mavin Records and owned by Nigerian singer D’Prince. Some of his popular songs include “Ginger Me,” “Bounce,” “Charm,” and “Beamer.”