Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Divine Ikubor, better known to millions worldwide as Rema, has given fans a rare glimpse into the personal rituals that help him summon the energy for his electrifying live performances.
In a candid interview with fashion and culture outlet Dazed on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week, the “Calm Down” hitmaker—who had just made his runway debut walking for Diesel’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection—opened up about the blend of indulgence, spirituality, and preparation that gets him stage-ready.
When asked about his pre-show routine, Rema didn’t hold back.
“A little tequila, a little cigarette, pray, tap in with the team, and make sure everything is on cue,” he explained matter-of-factly.
The 25-year-old Benin City native described a sequence that balances a quick mood-setting drink and smoke with a moment of prayer and a final technical huddle. That prayer component stands out in particular—a reminder that even as global stardom accelerates, Rema still anchors himself in faith before facing tens of thousands of screaming fans.
He was quick to differentiate the physical and mental demands of performing versus strutting the catwalk. While walking for Diesel in Milan had its own pressures, Rema insisted that commanding a concert stage is far more taxing.
“Performing has a lot to do with your breathwork, and you have to keep the crowd going,” he said, highlighting the endurance, vocal control, and crowd psychology required to sustain high-energy sets that often stretch well over an hour.
Beyond the adrenaline-fueled rituals, Rema also shared what’s been feeding his creative spirit lately. Rather than name-checking fellow Afrobeats peers or Western pop giants, he pointed to an unexpected source:
“I have been listening to a lot of Sudanese live cultural music.”
The admission offers a window into the global sounds currently shaping his palette. Sudanese live traditions—often rich with hypnotic percussion, call-and-response vocals, and ancient rhythmic lineages—appear to be sparking fresh ideas for the artist who has already fused Afrobeats with trap, R&B, and drill influences.
Yet not everything in Rema’s pre-show playbook is something he celebrates. The singer was forthright about his struggles, confessing that cigarettes remain his “biggest vice.” The admission arrives at a time when health conversations around nicotine use continue to intensify globally, even as many performers historically have leaned on similar habits to steady nerves before going live.
Rema’s Milan moment—both on the Diesel runway and in the Dazed interview—underscores his expanding footprint beyond music. From dominating charts and stadiums to now gracing high-fashion platforms in one of the world’s style capitals, the young star continues to move fluidly across industries while staying unapologetically transparent about the human side of superstardom.
As Rema prepares for what promises to be another massive year in Afrobeats, fans now have a clearer picture of the small, private ceremonies that help transform the soft-spoken Divine Ikubor into the magnetic performer who routinely sets stages ablaze.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Rema’s pre-show ritual boils down to this one key takeaway: even at the peak of global fame, he still relies on a raw, honest mix of tequila, a cigarette, prayer, and a team check to transform nerves into stage command.
Despite the glamour of Milan runways and chart-topping hits, performing remains intensely physical and mental for him—far more demanding than fashion—and he’s unapologetically open about his biggest vice being cigarettes while drawing fresh inspiration from Sudanese cultural live music.
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