Lagos, Nigeria – Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Rema has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the only African artist featured on the prestigious 2025 TIME100 Next list, which celebrates the world’s most influential rising stars across various fields.
Rema’s profile on the list was penned by Grammy-winning singer Angélique Kidjo, who praised the young artist’s meteoric rise and global impact. She described his success as part of a powerful musical continuum that includes African legends like Fela Kuti, Miriam Makeba, and Youssou N’Dour—pioneers who helped introduce African sounds to the world stage.
“Rema is not just making hits; he’s carrying the torch of a generation and reshaping how the world sees African music,” Kidjo wrote.
The TIME100 Next recognition marks another major international accolade for Rema, whose genre-blending style and chart-topping tracks have helped push Afrobeats into global mainstream music.