Selena Gomez is no stranger to collaboration. Her list of duets spans far and wide, hitting everything from reggaeton to K-pop. Her most recent collab saw her team up with Nigerian singer Rema for a club-ready bop called “Calm Down.”
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The song, originally released in 2022 as part of Rema’s debut studio album, Rave & Roses, climbed all the way to No. 3 on Billboard‘s Hot 100, marking Rema’s first entry on the chart. But how did Gomez become a part of this project and why is Rema telling someone to “calm down?” Uncover the story behind this song, below.
Behind the Meaning
The meaning behind “Calm Down” is quite simple if you look at the lyrics. Just listening to the song though without the words to follow along might have the listener lost within the insatiably catchy melody, not paying any mind to what Rema or Gomez are saying.
If you fall into that category, don’t worry, we have dissected the lyrics for you.
“Calm Down” is about locking eyes at a party and instantly falling into a deep infatuation. It’s a surface-level attraction, based on looks alone, but it’s a powerful draw that has Rema begging the woman in question to ease up on whatever is attracting him.
Baby, calm down, calm down
Girl, this your body e put my heart for lockdown
For lockdown, oh, lockdown
Girl, you sweet like Fanta o
Gomez comes in after the first verse to add a female perspective to the mix. Her character plays it coy while dancing around the room with hips that will “make you cry.” Rema and Gomez then sing the chorus in tandem, playing off one another just like the flirtatious encounter they are describing in the song.
Got my hand on your heart, now, I can feel it race
If I leave then you say you can never love again
Wanna give you it all but can’t promise that I’ll stay
And that’s the risk you take (You take)
Selena Gomez Remix
Rema invited Gomez to join him on a remix of “Calm Down” after the initial success of the song. The remixed version went even more viral than the original, securing yet another hit for Gomez.
“This man has changed my life forever,” Gomez wrote after sharing the song. “Rema, thank you for choosing me to be a part of one of the biggest songs in the world. Love you forever.”
Rema, a long-time fan of Gomez, connected with the singer-songwriter in a very “organic” way. “It started with being a fan [and] supporting her music,” Rema once explained. “She actually came across my music too, and she also wrote to me. Our teams got familiar and we started working towards this good music that came out.”
“It started that from friendship to colliding our teams together, and everyone is like a big family right now,” he continued. “It was very much organic, and we made it happen, and it’s just so huge. I’m amazed.”
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
