Billboard Faces Backlash Over Rema Label
Billboard has drawn criticism online after describing Nigerian singer Rema as a “one-hit wonder”, a label many fans say downplays his global success.
The controversy followed a post shared by Billboard on X on February 16, in which the magazine reshared an article from its June 2025 chart analysis. The post ranked Rema at number six on its list of the “25 Biggest One-Hit Wonders of the 21st Century”, citing his worldwide hit Calm Down, which featured American pop star Selena Gomez.
In the article, Billboard said that while Calm Down became a major crossover success, Rema had not returned to the Billboard Hot 100 following the collaboration. The publication noted, however, that the artist had achieved multiple top-10 entries on the US Afrobeats Songs chart during the same period.
The resurfaced post quickly sparked backlash on social media, with many users accusing the magazine of being dismissive of Rema’s wider body of work and his impact on the global Afrobeats movement.
Several commenters pointed to the singer’s consistent chart performance, international tours and sold-out shows as evidence that the “one-hit wonder” label was misleading. Others argued that Billboard’s US-focused metrics failed to capture Rema’s influence across Africa, Europe and other global markets.
As criticism mounted, fans continued to defend the artist’s career achievements, while Billboard has yet to issue a public response to the reaction.
