February 16, (THEWILL) — American entertainment magazine, Billboard, is facing backlash after resharing a June 2025 article that labelled Nigerian star, Rema, a “one-hit wonder”.
The post, shared Sunday on Billboard’s X account, linked to a ranking of the “25 Biggest One-Hit Wonders of the 21st Century”, placing Rema at No. 6 for his global hit ‘Calm Down’, featuring U.S. pop singer, Selena Gomez.
Billboard noted that the original version of ‘Calm Down’ gained attention on its U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, and the remix with Gomez helped it peak at No. 3 on the Hot 100.
It also mentioned that Rema hasn’t returned to the Hot 100 since, though he has had six top‑10 entries on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart as of June 7, 2025.
“After releasing the original ‘lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-wo-wo-wo-wo’-ing version of Calm Down in 2023, Nigeria’s Rema noticed it breaking on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. He took a swing and recruited Gomez for the female vocal and, shockingly, she agreed. ‘I had my fingers crossed,’ he told Billboard,” the article reads.
“The No. 3-peaking ‘Calm Down’ was obviously not veteran pop superstar Gomez’s only hit, but Rema has yet to make it to the Hot 100 again, although he has landed six top 10s on U.S. Afrobeats Songs, through the June 7, 2025, chart.”
The post quickly sparked debate online, with critics arguing that calling Rema a “one-hit wonder” ignores his success, including hits like ‘Dumebi’ and ‘Woman’, his album ‘Rave & Roses’, and his international tours and collaborations.
The debate also raised questions about the limits of U.S.-focused charts in measuring Afrobeats’ global reach.
Many fans argue that Rema’s influence and international success prove he is far more than a “one-hit wonder”.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
