Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Rema has cemented his status as a global music powerhouse with his latest hit “Baby (Is It A Crime)” dominating Spotify streams in the first half of 2025. The track soared to the top of global charts becoming the most streamed African song worldwide and spearheading a fresh wave of international attention on Nigerian music.
According to Spotify’s H1 2025 report “Baby (Is It A Crime)” racked up hundreds of millions of streams across North America Europe and Asia outperforming tracks from several international heavyweights. The single blends Rema’s signature melodic Afrobeats style with a refined pop sensibility capturing a diverse global audience and pushing African pop further into mainstream consciousness.
This success places Rema at the forefront of Nigeria’s growing cultural export and highlights the broader global surge in demand for Nigerian music. Alongside Rema fellow artists like Ayra Starr Burna Boy and Asake continue to gain ground in key global markets with Spotify citing a 48 percent year on year increase in streams of Nigerian artists outside Africa.
Music industry analysts point to a confluence of factors for this unprecedented rise including the proliferation of Afrofusion genres increased collaboration with Western artists and the strategic use of digital platforms like TikTok and Spotify to reach global listeners.
Rema born Divine Ikubor first rose to prominence in 2019 and has consistently expanded his artistic reach. With “Baby (Is It A Crime)” he now joins the ranks of African artists rewriting the rules of global pop music.
“This is more than just a personal win” Rema said in a recent interview. “It’s a moment for the culture for the sound and for everyone who’s been pushing Afrobeats to the world.”
As the second half of 2025 unfolds all eyes remain on Nigeria’s music industry now one of the fastest growing cultural forces on the global stage.
source: tribuneonlineng.net