At this point in the Afrobeats to the world movement, Rema stands as our most commercially successful act. He has achieved milestones once deemed impossible, breaking longstanding Spotify streaming records in Africa. Now, he is unanimously recognized as the face of Afrobeats and the king of the new school.
Rema’s journey to these heights was propelled by his unique style. He burst into the limelight with a sound that was unlike anything we had heard before, a sound that some initially ridiculed, likening it to “Indian” music and other slurs. However, through consistent hits and quality releases, all packaged in his distinctive style, Rema was able to overcome the criticisms and lead a revolution in the Nigerian music scene. He has built a strong, consistent fan base and amassed a discography of gems. Here are our draft selections for the top ten Rema tracks over the years.
Calm Down
On whatever basis we are ranking Rema, “Calm Down” excels exceptionally. It is a beautifully exceptional single and, in the commercial market, just the biggest. Produced by Mavin’s in-house producers London and Andre Vibez, it put them on the map and started Rema’s iconic one-liner “everybody say yellow,” used in almost all his performances.
Soundgasm
“Soundgasm” is one hell of a record. It contains some of the most explicit content for an Afrobeats song that it is beeped a bunch on radio versions, but at surface level, it can be enjoyed. Smooth, groovy, and refined, it contrasts the imagery and sexual innuendos riddled in the lyrics, a perfect balance in the single.
Dumebi
“Dumebi” was Rema’s first hit, part of his eponymous debut EP. The single introduced Rema to the limelight. It also had his first controversy; the lyric “Kpa nanga nin ge inga wo yaa,” which was later revealed by Rema to be complete jargon, gave listeners a hard time to decode but was enjoyable and permitted.
Charm
“Charm” is the tenth song from Rema’s debut album “Rave & Roses.” It starts with guitar riffs just like “Soundgasm” and presents a less explicit, smooth rendition of talent. Another hit from the vault of the already legendary London.
Reason You
As his first lead work of last year, Rema dropped a single pack, which would later be included in the deluxe edition of his debut album. From the two tracks, the less popular one is the best in terms of quality. Featuring an array of three producers, the single has some of the best lyrical performances from Rema and features the rare loverboy Rema.
Woman
Rema caused a shift in the music scene with this single. With the line “I too like woman, me I no dey gboran,” Rema churned out one of the most memorable songs of the decade. The special part of the song is Rema running back to his now adopted jargon style “sankolo weko oweko.”
Bounce
Rema is sure not one to shy away from expressing crude sexual content in his music. Over some of the best productions we have heard, unsurprisingly from Don Jazzy, Rema dedicated a song to some of God’s best work—the woman’s derrière.
Corny
Rema really went hard on his debut EP, flexing versatility at a rate surpassing his state at the time as a rookie. The single was at a time when many of us were astounded to realize that it was not Wizkid singing. Rema delivered some of his best performances on this single, a proper introductory record to prove talent.
DND
“Ravage” was already previewed to come with heat, and it is summed up in “DND.” Rema had a lot to pour out, a lot of anger to shed with this single, a standout track from the EP. Over production from P. Priime, Rema spazzes and delivers a stern warning that nobody is too big to be ignored completely.
Ginger Me
Back in the times Rema was probably in love, he dropped a crisp love song, soothing to the ears. Directly linking his love as his muse, giving him a propel into his music.