Nigerian superstar Rema has set a new benchmark for African music, as his debut album, Rave & Roses, officially hit a milestone of 170 weeks on the Billboard World Albums Chart as of Saturday, February 14, 2026. This achievement solidifies its place as the longest-charting African album in the history of the chart, surpassing the previous record of 164 weeks held by Wizkid’s critically acclaimed Made In Lagos. The longevity of Rema’s project highlights the sustained global demand for his sound, following other significant runs by Tems’ Born In The Wild (79 weeks), Burna Boy’s Love, Damini (63 weeks), and the legendary Fela Kuti’s compilation The Best Of The Black President (45 weeks).
Adding to his historic week, Rema earned his second career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song “Secondhand,” a collaboration with Don Toliver that debuted at number 29.
This new entry follows the record-breaking success of his global hit Calm Down, which remains one of the most successful Afrobeats songs in U.S. chart history.
For Rema, these dual milestones reflect his growing dominance as one of Africa’s leading musical exports, bridging the gap between youthful digital virality and long-term commercial staying power in the world’s largest music market.
Tems also continues to rewrite the record books, debuting her new single “What You Need” at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. This brings her total career entries to seven, making her the first African female artist to reach this number and placing her in a three-way tie for the most entries by an African act, alongside Burna Boy and the South African group Seether.
Tems’ rapid ascent is further underscored by her presence with two simultaneous placements on the chart this week, as industry observers project she may soon break the tie with her upcoming feature on J. Cole’s “Bunce Road Blues.”
