Rema becomes the first African artiste to receive Spotify’s Billion Club plaque, Michael B. Jordan to direct ‘Creed IV,‘ Barcelona’s Gavi set to miss rest of season due to ACL injury. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.
1. Rema becomes first African artiste to receive Spotify’s Billion Club plaque
Rema becomes the first African Artist to receive Spotify’s Billion Club Plaque pic.twitter.com/btAhWXfQPn
— Big Solo 🚀 (@soloxtrrm) November 20, 2023
Nigerian Afrobeats sensation, Rema has been honored by Spotify for his phenomenal achievement—his hit track “Calm Down,” featuring Selena Gomez, has reached an astonishing 1 billion streams on the music streaming platform. Spotify representatives presented Rema with the commemorative plaque, recognizing his accomplishment as the first ever African artiste to receive Spotify’s Billion Club Plaque, while also serving as a token of appreciation for his contribution to the global music landscape.
“Rema’s remarkable achievement of reaching one billion streams on Spotify is a testament to the growth of African music and the continued growth of Afrobeats globally. Receiving his Spotify one billion plaque at his first headlined O2 Arena Show marks a significant moment in history,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa. “We are thrilled to witness this first-of-its-kind moment for an African artiste-led track on Spotify, and we eagerly anticipate many more African artists reaching this milestone.”
2. Michael B. Jordan to direct ‘Creed IV’
Irwin Winkler confirms Michael B. Jordan will direct ‘Creed 4’ #DeadlineContenders pic.twitter.com/nF4siAFslu
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 18, 2023
The “Creed” franchise is set to expand with a fourth installment, as confirmed by franchise producer Irwin Winkler on Saturday, November 18. Michael B. Jordan, who starred as Adonis Creed and made his directorial debut with Creed III, is slated to direct the upcoming film. The former premiered in theaters in March with overwhelming success. Notably, it achieved a record-setting opening weekend after grossing $58 million.
Although MGM hasn’t officially confirmed it, the development was first reported by Deadline, which included a video clip of Winkler discussing the project. “We’re planning to do Creed IV right now—it’s in the works—and we think we have a really good story, a really good plot,” he said. “We got a little delayed because of the strikes, but about a year from now, we’re going into pre-production.”
3. South Africa: Andile and Tamia announce the arrival of baby No. 2
View this post on Instagram
Four months after unveiling her pregnancy bump, Tamia and Andile Mpisane have welcomed their second child together. The couple announced the arrival of their second child in a joint post on Instagram on Sunday, a year after welcoming their daughter Miaandy. They shared a sweet family video. In the post, they revealed Messiah Shauwn Junior Mpisane made a surprise arrival on September 20, explaining the meaning behind her name.
“This little one has filled our hearts with an overwhelming sense of love and happiness, reminding us of the miracles and blessing from the Messiah,” read the statement. “The name ‘Messiah’ holds a profound meaning, resonating deeply with the hopes and dreams we have for our remarkable daughter. In its essence, Messiah represents a chosen one, a savior, or a deliverer. We have given this name to our beautiful daughter, as she entered this world with a purpose: to radiate light, love, and compassion to all those she encounters.”
Congratulations to the couple.
4. Burna Boy and Rema shine at Billboard Music Awards
Rema and Burna Boy won big at the Billboard Music Awards after bagging Top Afrobeats Song with “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez and Top Afrobeats Artist respectively.
Congratulations to our stars✨#deedsmag #music #culture #bbma pic.twitter.com/aDscfSOpuf
— Deedsmagazine (@Deedsmag) November 20, 2023
In a historic win, Burna Boy and Rema emerged as the inaugural winners in their respective categories at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards held on Sunday. Burna Boy clinched the prestigious title of Top Afrobeats Artiste, while Rema made history as the first recipient of the newly introduced award for Top Afrobeats Song.
Rema shared his thoughts on the honor, framing it as a celebration of unity and the global dominance of Afrobeats. “I want to say a big shout out to Selena Gomez, Mavin Records, Josie Ward, as well as the amazing fans who supported us all the way to this point. I want to say a big thank you to Billboard — I’m very grateful. All the way from Nigeria, Rema. One love,” he expressed. Meanwhile, speaking in a recorded video message, Burna Boy dedicated the award to Africa and all emerging artists from the continent. Reflecting on the achievement, he stated, “The future’s bright… This is just the tip of the iceberg, but you’re gonna see the whole vision soon.”
5. Barcelona’s Gavi set to miss rest of season due to ACL injury
🇪🇸 Due to ACL plus meniscus injury, the expectation for Gavi is to be out at least for 7 months but it could be up to 8/9 total months.
He’s expected to miss Euro2024 too — back for the pre-season 2024/2025. pic.twitter.com/sR88o4hg1o
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 20, 2023
Barcelona midfielder, Gavi is unlikely to play again this season after the Catalan club confirmed he tore his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Spain on Sunday. Gavi, 19, has also suffered an associated injury to the lateral meniscus and will undergo surgery later this week. Barça will provide a timeframe for his recovery after the operation, but Gavi is expected to miss the rest of the campaign and is also a major doubt for Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games with Spain next summer.
“Tests carried out on Monday on the first-team player, Gavi have shown that he has a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus,” Barça said in a statement. “The player will have surgery in the coming days after which a new medical update will be released.” Gavi was forced off midway through the first half of Spain’s 3-1 win over Georgia after landing awkwardly when controlling the ball moments after a collision with Georgia’s Luka Lochoshvili. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the incident with Lochoshvili was unrelated to the injury.
Featured Image: @heisrema/Instagram
Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2023.
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