Though Nigerian at heart, Afropop continues to dominate charts across the globe. One only needs to look at Wizkid’s exceptional career. Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria’s cultural capital, the singer-songwriter is among today’s biggest names in African music. He’s also one of the first Afropop artists to help the genre reach and conquer Western music scenes. Wizkid’s past collaborations range from songs with American R&B singer H.E.R to British rap star Skepta. His fourth studio album Made in Lagos, which is aptly named to pay homage to his humble beginnings, also became more than just the highest-ever Nigerian album to chart on the Billboard 200—because it breached the UK’s Top 20.
Ultimately, Wizkid paved the way for other Nigerian Afropop stars to wow Western audiences. The rhythm, heat, and easy-flowing lyrics in Hitpapa’s 2022 single, ‘I’ll Be There’ is just one track that takes inspiration from Wizkid’s rise to fame.
Two years later, yet another famous Afropop artist is establishing himself in mainstream Western music: Rema. Also known as Divine Ikubor, this up-and-coming Afropop sensation is a great case study of how social media is helping culturally charged sounds cross international borders so they can be enjoyed by many. Here’s more on his rise in the industry and how he’s continuing to take over the Afropop scene with his newest release, HEIS.
The rise of Rema
Social media continues to play a critical role in helping new artists break into the industry, and Rema is no exception. He first came onto the scene in 2018, when he went viral for performing a freestyle rap on Instagram to the D’PrinceAfropop hit Gucci Gang. That gave him the exposure he needed to release his debut single, Dumebi, a year later. With its heavy percussion and sharply delivered lyrics, this pure Nigerian pop track showcased the then-teenager’s versatility for nailing both hip-hop and mainstream pop.
That’s probably why his first studio album, Rave & Roses, met so much success when it came out in 2022. Debuting at number 81 on the Billboard 200, it became best known for the hit Calm Down—which was subsequently remixed with a feature from famed American singer Selena Gomez and ended up spending a record-breaking 58 weeks as number one on the Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart. In all his work, he aims to create music that he feels is more likely to cross borders, resulting in a sound that appeals to more listeners and is so unique that he’s dubbed his own term to describe it: Afrorave. Given the overwhelming success he saw in 2022 that cemented his rise in the genre, he undoubtedly hit those goals.
Rema’s undeniable star quality
Rave & Roses marked Rema’s break into the mainstream, nabbing him further opportunities for exposure. He’s featured in campaigns for major brands like Beats, Jordan, and Monster Energy, and walked runways for the UK-based apparel company Tokyo James. That’s led to more fans worldwide clamouring to learn more about his personal life, with a recent interview on the 2024 Brit Awards’ red carpet asking why he’s often seen wearing black glasses in his free time. Not unlike the PO3318V and Joel models you’d find from Persol or London Retro, these distinctive, chunky frames do more than just accentuate the Afropop sensation’s soft features. The Nigerian singer revealed that he wears them to correct hypermetropia, or long-sightedness.
His dapper choices for simply correcting his vision led to even more interest in his wardrobe preferences, leading to further style interviews with none other than Vogue. In attending Louis Vuitton’s show for its Spring 2024/2025 men’s collection, he expressed a penchant for black that extends from his eyewear to the rest of his clothes. Rema further accentuates those pieces with varsity jackets and statement silver chains to create a signature ‘cosy’ fashion sense. That combination of musical talent, style, and overall influence ultimately showcases Rema’s undeniable star quality. Combined with the release of his sophomore album HEIS, he’s further proving himself the latest voice bringing Afropop to a global audience.
HEIS and Rema’s continuing Afropop supremacy
In July 2024, Rema released HEIS. Despite it being only two years since Rave & Roses,the Afropop star’s latest tracks exhibit a more polished vibe that shows how much he’s progressed along the way. All 11 songs on this sophomore studio album dig deeper into the artist’s unique sound while diving into an even more personal message specifically aimed at the artist’s critics. Despite that, the boldly unapologetic theme of Rema’s latest music continues to experiment, boasting diverse sampling techniques and melodic rhymes along with the heavy beats that characterised his earlier releases. These new tunes continue to please: HEIS debuted at number four on Apple’s music charts for the UK.
Given its debut shortly after Rema was honoured twice at the ASCAP London Music Awards—for Calm Down, no less—that just goes to show how the artist similarly refuses to calm down and continues to forge his career at top speed. Many major industry authorities now consider him the newest symbol of Afropop’s continuing dominance across the globe, with the likes of Rolling Stone crediting Rema for breaking barriers and inspiring even more Nigerian artists to take the global stage.
