On 25 March 2022, Nigerian rapper and singer Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, released his debut album, ‘Rave & Roses’.
KAMPALA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Nigerian singer and rapper, Divine Ikubor popularly known as Rema, released his debut album, ‘Rave & Roses’ at midnight on 25 March 2022.
- On day 1 of release, Rema’s debut album, ‘Rave & Roses,’ tops charts in 52 countries.
- At the time of writing this article, “Calm Down” was topping charts in more than 52 countries.
- As he explained to Apple Music, the album was composed in many moods, which drew him to the studio to record it.
- You can listen to Rema – Rave & Roses (Official Album Audio) below.
- See also: Masaka Kids Africana nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award.
The album has been doing well on the Apple Music streaming platform since its release and became the fastest Nigerian album to peak at number 1 on the iTunes music charts in just 2 hours of its release.
According to Charts Africa, within 24 hours after its release, the 16 song album reached number 1 on Apple Music in 52 countries and currently ranks number 1 in five countries.
One of the “lead-off tracks ‘Calm Down’ tops charts in more than 52 countries at the time of writing this article. In an interview with Apple Music, the singer recalls the creation and the inspiration for the track as he was with a group of friends from Mavin Academy at the studio with producer Vibez.
“We went into one of the studios where we saw [Andre] Vibez,” said Ikubor. “Vibez saw that our energy was up, and we just wanted to freestyle on beats. The next day, I recorded and brought up my experience where I met a girl at a party. I was trying to get her attention and we could only go halfway in the party, but it advanced and we just locked in and loved up,”
Additionally, he mentioned to Apple Music that the album’s composition showcased many moods which attracted him to the recording studio.
“I didn’t have a solid written plan, so I literally approached this album with no fear or pressure. Every project will have different meanings to me, aside from the story they tell but this one is a sound-sealer, and it’s that bridge to bring the fans closer to Rema.”
With an eccentric cast of Chris Brown, Atlanta rapper and singer 6LACK, British rapper AJ Tracey NS French vocalist Yseult, Rema uses the album to express his belief in fate and considers societal dynamics.
Tracklist for the Rave & Roses album
- Divine
- Hold Me feat. 6LACK
- Dirty
- Calm down
- Soundgasm
- Time N Affection feat. Chris Brown
- Jo
- Mara
- Love
- Addicted
- Are You There?
- FYN feat. AJ Tracey
- Baby
- Carry
- Wine feat. Yseult
- Runaway
