Billboard chart: Rema closes on South African legend, Masekela record after surpassing Wizkid

Divine Ikubor, alias Rema, a rising afrobeats musician from Nigeria, is getting ever-closer to tying the record held by the late South African music icon Hugh Masekela for the highest-charting African song on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In a Nigerian record, the remix of his popular song “Calm Down,” which included American artist Selena Gomez, reached a new height at Number 4 on the Hot 100 chart this week.

By accomplishing this achievement, Rema has the second-highest charting single in Hot 100 history for an African singer.

When “Calm Down” overtook “Essence,” which peaked at number nine last year, Rema broke Wizkid’s record for the highest charting Nigerian lead artist in Billboard Hot 100 history, according to DAILY POST.

Next week, it’s expected that “Calm Down” will reach a new height.

Although they weren’t the lead artists, Wizkid and Tems both peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart as guests.