Posted by Samuel on Fri 12th Dec, 2025 - tori.ng
This striking figure, which Don Jazzy disclosed during an interview on Bounce 91.9 FM, highlights the rigorous, resource-intensive approach necessary to break through today's highly competitive global music market.
Mavin Records founder Don Jazzy has shed new light on the high cost of achieving true international stardom, revealing that the strategic launch of Rema’s hit single, "Calm Down," reportedly cost between $4 million and $5 million.
This striking figure, which Don Jazzy disclosed during an interview on Bounce 91.9 FM, highlights the rigorous, resource-intensive approach necessary to break through today's highly competitive global music market.
The investment was not simply for the creation of the 2022 track from Rema's Rave & Roses album, but for its worldwide deployment.
The expense covered a complex, multi-pronged campaign designed for maximum visibility, including aggressive radio promotion, comprehensive social media pushes, securing top-tier international playlist placements, and deploying extensive digital advertising budgets across key territories.
The remix of "Calm Down" featuring Selena Gomez became a monumental global success story for Afrobeats, climbing to an impressive No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the No. 1 spot on the UK Singles Chart, and accumulating an immense 1.78 billion streams on Spotify by December 2025.
These metrics confirm the return on investment, generating substantial revenue and cementing Rema's status as a global star.
Don Jazzy noted that the genre has evolved from a time when music videos had comparatively modest budgets to the present, where production quality and ambition now demand spends upwards of $100,000.
This signifies that Nigerian and African music is now operating with the same high financial stakes as Western music markets, underscoring that global breakthroughs in the genre require significant capital.
While acknowledging the need for such large-scale spending, the music executive also offered a word of caution, advising artists to first test songs organically to gauge genuine public interest before launching into multi-million dollar campaigns.