Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Rema has been named to the prestigious TIME100 Next 2025 list — a celebration of the world’s most influential rising stars in music, innovation, sports, politics, film, and philanthropy. The announcement came Tuesday, with Rema’s tribute penned by none other than Grammy-winning legend Angélique Kidjo, who praised the 24-year-old star for reshaping global pop culture while staying rooted in African rhythm and identity.
“I fell in love with Rema’s Calm Down,” Kidjo wrote. “It’s not mimicking Western pop; it’s rooted in Africa but catchy and virtuosic. The young Nigerian superstar has accomplished so much — ‘Calm Down’ joined the billion-streams club twice, he’s filled stadiums, and his latest album earned a Grammy nomination. Rema is the embodiment of the international success of Afrobeats. Thanks to artists like him, African music is at the forefront of global culture.”
Rema, born Divine Ikubor in Benin City, first broke out in 2019 with his viral freestyle that caught the attention of D’Prince, who signed him to Jonzing World under Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records. His breakout hit Dumebi introduced a new Afrobeats wave, but it was the 2022 smash Calm Down — and its chart-dominating Selena Gomez remix — that catapulted him to international superstardom.
With Calm Down peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ruling the Billboard Afrobeats Songs Chart for a record 58 weeks, Rema has amassed billions of streams, won MTV VMA Best Afrobeats Video, Billboard Top Afrobeats Song, and even performed at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
Now, with his name etched among the TIME100 Next global changemakers.
![Rema - Baby (Is it a Crime) [Official Video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MsZhYgo9MoA/hqdefault.jpg)
