Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ was released as a single for his debut album, ‘Rave & Roses’. The song was an instant hit, charting high on Nigerian and European charts. It can be said that the success of the song was the first hint to just how much the young artiste could grow.
The follow up remix to the song highlighted just how successful the first version was. If ‘Calm Down’ introduced Rema to the world, the remix ensured that no one would forget about him for a long time. Featuring talented superstar Selena Gomez, ‘Calm Down’ remix earned him a top ten spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200 charts, making him the first Nigerian artist to do so.
The remix was released as part of ‘Raves & Roses Ultra’ which is a deluxe reissue of his debut album. ‘Charm’, a song released as a single for ‘Ultra’ is looking to follow in the footsteps of ‘Calm Down’ due to its amazing success. "Charm" has spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Official Nigeria Top 100, becoming Rema's longest No. 1 single in the country as well as going one position better than "Calm Down" on the singles chart in the country.
The song highlights Rema’s prowess as a songwriter and performer and cements his position as a hit maker.
“While it’s true that success often aids more success, ‘Charm’ is a great song too. The quality of the music is an important factor…”
In this interview with Emmanuella Nnadozie, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Mavins Global and the Executive of the Week, she breaks down the process and strategy used to make ‘Charm’ a hit song, and what to expect from the artiste in the future.
“With Rema, his unpredictability is one of his charms (pun intended). But you can guarantee that he will keep conquering the world, as he’s set out to do.” She reflects.
TTC: Please can you introduce yourself? We'd like to know you.
ELLA: I’m Emmanuella Nnadozie (Ella). I lead the Marketing and Corporate Communications team at Mavin Records.
TTC: You are the head of Marketing *and Corporate Communications* at Mavin *Global*. Can you give us an insight into what you do?
ELLA: In the simplest sense, I oversee the marketing process at Mavin Global. My team and I are responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive marketing plans to promote the label and its artistes, drive sales and streams, and enhance the overall brand image. We try to identify unique selling points, define target markets, and conduct market research to understand industry trends, consumer preferences, and competitive landscape. I am also responsible for managing the promotional budget of the label, which is ensuring resources are allocated effectively across various campaigns and initiatives.
TTC: You are the Executive of the Week due to your contribution in the release of Rema’s recent hit song ‘Charm’, the song has been a huge success, no doubt due to Rema’s penmanship of writing hits, but marketing strategies can’t be left behind. May we know some of the plans that were made towards the release of the project?
ELLA: We’re excited about Rema’s ‘Rave & Roses Ultra’. It’s also great to see how the fans (Ravers) have really supported the movement. As you noted, Rema is an immense talent. We also have to move with this in mind and ensure we help him in his ascent. Our plan is the same as usual, which is to keep all the available verticals of marketing functional and buzzing. To top the TurnTable Charts is a testament to our success in that regard. We peaked at number 1 on virtually all the DSPs in territory for multiple weeks running. We had the jungle rave which helped him connect with his Super-fans before his impending world tour. All these are all intentional moves that would ensure that the project is always on people’s mind. We still have more moves that we are yet to execute and we are really excited about bringing them to fruition.
**TTC: ‘**Charm’ has been No.1 for 3 non- consecutive weeks on the official Nigeria top 100 Chart, would you say the success of the his ‘Ultra’ release, and his successful tours played a hand in the song’s number? Was it also part of your marketing strategy?
ELLA: We can all agree that Rema is a fantastic performer, and our task has been to amplify that as much as we can. ‘Charm’ has all the makings of a hit song and that makes it easier to work with. Right now, our Shazam numbers are almost at half a million, which means we keep breaking into new markets and piquing the curiosity of listeners. From here on out, we just need to intensify on our efforts and make sure the song live up to its true potential.
TTC: Rema has given us hits after hits this year, what else should we be expecting from the upcoming superstar?
ELLA: One thing to look forward to, which is something we are also excited about, is his on-going World tour. It’s been brilliant so far and it is a great way of keeping the Afrobeats conversation global. Of course you can also expect to see more music and collaborations from him. The most constant thing to expect from him is his growth. We’re still on a journey. We'll keep building and doing the 'tough' things needed for him to reach his full potential.