Rema‘s 2022 debut album, Rave & Roses, spun out the biggest Afrobeats crossover hit in U.S. history (the Selena Gomez-assisted “Calm Down”), and just three years later, the Nigerian superstar has cemented his place in the genre’s Big Four with a fiery, high-octane Madison Square Garden debut in New York City on Friday (May 2).
Named for Heis — his 2024 sophomore LP, which earned him his first Grammy nod for best global music album — Rema’s Heis World Tour is a towering statement of what an impressive career and catalog the 25-year-old visionary has built for himself since exploding onto the scene with 2019’s “Dumebi.” While that early-career hit was saved for later in the night during Friday’s concert, Rema, dressed in a massive fur overcoat and wielding a machete atop a levitating platform, kicked off his headlining set with “March Am,” Heis’ introductory track.
“I wanna introduce to you a man, a myth, a legend,” a faceless announcer declared over brooding, cinematic drums reminiscent of the ones that define the soundscape of Heis. “He goes by many names! He is… Prince of Afrobeats, Rema!” This lead-in may have felt a bit overblown for other artists, but Rema spent the next hour-and-a-half proving why he’s worthy of such an effusive intro. Fellow Heis cuts “Azaman” and “Yayo” followed, keeping the crowd’s energy consistent for the show’s first act before the first of several interludes that chopped up the setlist’s flow.
The concert’s setlist was loosely organized by theme and tempo. What it lacked in continuity, Rema more than made up for with the sheer number of hits he played. A cheeky kiss-cam introduced a mellower, heart-eyed segment featuring cuts like “Favorite Girl” (with Darkoo) and “Soundgasm”; “Calm Down” made for a classic arena sing-along moment, and newer drops like “Bout U” and “Baby (Is It a Crime)” allowed Rema the space to show off both…
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