A few days ago, while doing strength training at my YMCA gym in Cross Island, New York, I had my earbuds and listened to music. This allowed me to block out the noise of people dropping dumbbells. However, a friend approached me on this particular day, and I decided to pause my music. As we chatted, I heard “Baby Calm,” a song by Rema/Selena Gomez, blasting from the nearby dance studio.

Curious about the commotion coming from the studio, I walked closer and discovered a group of grandmothers gracefully dancing to this song. It surprised me that teenagers were not the only ones attending this dance class. The fact that a significant part of the song was sung in Yoruba (a Nigerian dialect) reinforced the belief that music is a universal language. Music transcends age, religion, gender, and hate. Witnessing these moms embrace music from my country filled me with joy as someone who has contributed to Nigeria’s dance music scene.

It is heartwarming to see that Rema – born Divine Ikubor in Benin City – has taken over New York City’s airwaves with his song. The people living in this incredible city have found solace through his music. Radio DJs on KTU, Z100, 105.1 (Hip-Pop), and many other mainstream channels are enamored with “Baby Calm.” It plays almost every 10 minutes or even more frequently than that. Nigerian music has become an essential part of any party playlist in the Big Apple.

Back in 2009, when I ran The Nigerian FM, I frequently played Nigerian music, and listeners often asked where they could purchase it. The works of artists like Burna Boy, P-Square, and Techno stood out at that time. The reason why some of the best Nigerian music hasn’t made it to mainstream radio stations in the US is a story for another day. I will dedicate another piece since this write-up focuses on Rema’s success.

Rema’s collaboration with Selena Gomez on “Calm Down” was wise. Selena Gomez, a globally beloved figure with over 400 million Instagram followers, humbly thanked Rema for featuring her in his hit song on her social media platform.

Had Rema collaborated with other superstars, especially those in the hip-hop genre who have half of Selena Gomez’s following, they would have tried to overshadow his rise to stardom. They would want credit for his success and attempt to outshine him if he received awards. Whoever orchestrated this collaboration that propelled “Calm Down” by Rema is worthy of praise. I also take this opportunity to thank Selena Gomez for being an incredible individual and acknowledging how this collaboration has impacted her life.

I am aware of the rumor circulating about Selena now dating Rema. However, it’s important to note that simply kissing or hugging does not automatically mean they are a couple. If they are in a relationship, it is their personal affair and should be respected.

To be continued…

In my next part, I will delve into the song itself and highlight the lessons established and upcoming artists can learn from it.

Alla-bama is an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and media personality based in New York City.

African Giant crooner Burna Boy, has been on a winning streak this wee year, following a spillover of success from 2020, which saw the release of his latest album, Twice as Tall, another Grammy nomination, and collaboration with Wizkid.

On Monday the 11th of January, 2021, Australian superstar Sia, announced via her Instagram account, a collaborative track with Burna, to the awe of fans globally.

The audio which is titled “Hey Boy” has been released, with the music video to be premiered on Thursday the 14th of January, 2021.

Since 2011, Ayo Balogun aka Wizkid hasn’t fallen short of hits with great collaborations.
His latest collaboration was with the African Giant crooner, Burna boy in a song called Ginger featured in his latest album Made in Lagos.

The spanking new video released yesterday the 8th of January, 2021, depicted a lavish lifestyle, packed with an onslaught of video vixens, with the star attraction of a local game of “Ayo” played with diamonds for stones.
Both Wizkid and Burna Boy have been in comparison along with Davido by fans as they had one action in common lately; the release of a new album.

The last quarter of 2020 saw the release of Made In Lagos music album by Wizkid, Twice as Tall album by Burna Boy, and A Better Time album by Davido putting the trio at the forefront in the competition to be the best in the Nigerian music industry.

At a very young age (7), Blue Ivy has already been recognized and praised for her work with her mother on the new “Lion King” soundtrack. Blue Ivy first featured on Beyonce’s heartfelt video for the powerful song “Spirit”. This very same song from Disney’s “The Lion King” has already received a Grammy nomination or two for the upcoming year, 2020.

A few weeks ago, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter, Blue Ivy, received her very first award. Specifically, the Carter’s eldest child took home The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award from BET’s Soul Train Awards. Believe it or not, the 7-year-old is actually one of the co-writers of the hit song that is apart of the “Lion King” soundtrack, “Brown Skin Girl”. Blue Ivy shares this award with other artists that collaborated with her on the track such as Nigerian artist, Wizkid, Guyanese artist, SAINt JHN, and no artist other than Beyoncé herself. Blue Ivy both leads and concludes “Brown Skin Girl” with her vocals.

Additionally, “Brown Skin Girl” from Disney’s “The Lion King” was nominated for another award. The song was nominated for the best collaboration at the 2019 BET Soul Train Awards. On the other hand, Chris Brown and Drake’s “No Guidance” swopped in for the title, including other award-winning titles at the 2019 Soul Train Awards, such as the best dance performance, AND the song of the year.

There are no worries, for “Brown Skin Girl” has been getting the recognition it deserves on additional platforms, such as the Billboard Charts. “The Lion King” track at hand has landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning Blue Ivy Carter her first-career entry on the Hot 100. “Brown Skin Girl” from Beyoncé’s ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ album debuted at No. 76 this past July. The whole album itself had placed as high as No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Listeners and fans alike all take to “Brown Skin Girl” being that it praises dark-skinned and brown-skinned females for the way they are created. The song is designed to make these types of individuals know their worth – to make young girls and women of color hold their heads up high and embrace their uniqueness, culture, and beauty. The message of the song can be easily distinguished through lyrics such as “There’s complexities in complexion, but your skin, it glow like diamonds…Took everything in life, baby know your worth, I love everything about you from your nappy curls, to every single curve, your body natural…”, and the chorus itself. On the whole, this song is a must-listen for those who need a confidence boost, for those who need to know the value and greatness of ‘black’ women, or/and those who simply want to listen to Blue Ivy’s voice (or any other artist in the song).