Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal have been listed among the 2025 TIME100 Next, which celebrates the world’s most influential rising stars.
The announcement was made by TIME Magazine on Tuesday, highlighting figures shaping the future across music, sports, politics, innovation, and the arts.
Rema, whose global success has cemented Afrobeats at the forefront of international culture, was profiled by Grammy Award-winning icon Angélique Kidjo.
“With the recent global explosion of African music, I needed to include some contemporary sounds,” Kidjo wrote. “I fell in love with Rema’s ‘Calm Down.’ It has a unique flow and feel, not mimicking Western pop; it is rooted in Africa but also catchy and virtuosic. I love to sing it. The young Nigerian superstar has accomplished so much: ‘Calm Down’ has joined the billion-streams club twice over. Rema has performed in stadiums. His latest album earned a Grammy nomination. Rema is the embodiment of the international success of Afrobeats.”
Also representing Nigeria on the list are British-Nigerian actor and producer Damson Idris and Nigerian-American visual artist Toyin Odutola.
Rema first broke into the spotlight in 2019 after signing to Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records. His breakout single ‘Dumebi’ introduced him to the Nigerian mainstream, but his international breakthrough came in 2022 with ‘Calm Down’. The track’s remix with American singer Selena Gomez peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Afrobeats chart for a record-setting 58 weeks.
The singer’s rise has earned him awards including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats and the Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeats Song. He has also been honoured for surpassing one billion global streams, performing at major global events such as the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
Beyond the Nigerian stars, the 2025 TIME100 Next list also features global talents such as Mexican-American singer Becky G, Canadian pop artist Tate McRae, British actor Jonathan Bailey, South Korean footballer Lee Kang-in, Brazilian activist Anielle Franco, and Formula One driver Lando Norris.
Others include Palestinian surgeon Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, American filmmaker Celine Song, Egyptian squash champion Nouran Gohar, and American actress Rachel Zegler.
Cate Matthews, who led the TIME100 Next selection, said: “Everyone on the TIME100 Next leapt into action—often in challenging circumstances and in doing so, accomplished the extraordinary. They demonstrate the power we all have to make a difference.”
