The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) witnessed a historic moment as Nigerian artist Rema and American pop star Selena Gomez won the first-ever Best Afrobeats Award for their song “Calm Down”.
The song, which was released in August 2022, is a remix of Rema’s original track from his debut album Rave & Roses.
It has been a global hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the first song from an African artist to join Spotify’s Billions Club by surpassing one billion streams.
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Rema and Selena Gomez accepted their award during the star-studded event at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. “This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big and being here on this stage representing Afrobeats,” he said.
See video of Rema and Selena Gomez at the VMAs below
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Gomez expressed her love and gratitude to Rema for collaborating with her on the song. She also praised the Afrobeats genre for its diversity and vibrancy. “I’m so honored to be a part of this amazing movement. Afrobeats is more than just music, it’s a culture, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a celebration of life,” she said.
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The Best Afrobeats Award was introduced this year. At the VMAs the afrobeats music genre continues to gain popularity and recognition across America’s mainstream music scene.
The award recognizes the best song in the genre that originated in West Africa and blends elements of traditional African music, funk, jazz, hip hop and R&B.
Rema and Gomez also received nominations in the Song Of The Year and Best Collaboration categories for “Calm Down”.
Rema is one of the most successful and influential Afrobeats artists in the world. He rose to fame with his song “Dumebi” in 2019 and has since released several hit singles and albums. He is widely regarded as one of the leaders of the new generation of Afrobeats.
Gomez is one of the most popular and versatile pop stars in the world. She started her career as an actress on Disney Channel and has since transitioned into music, releasing six studio albums and numerous singles.
Sources: USA Today, The Herald, Yen, REVOLT, Black Enterprise
