22 year old Divine Ikubor aka Rema dropped single Calm Down, and the world – literally the world – went gaga for it.
This is the second most popular hit after he debuted Dumebi in 2019. Dumebi is currently at 62 million views on YouTube alone. Calm Down dwarfs Dumebi standing at 339 million views on YouTube, no wonder Selena had to jump on the remix.
The song as with most Nigerian music is a mix of English and pidgin English (Nigerian national language).
It is about Rema (or a guy) who sees a girl in yellow dress at a party, and he instantly falls in love. Only problem is, the girl likes “forming” or making “yanga”, which means someone who comes off as snobbish.
He approaches and chats her up, on one occasion her friends cut his opportunity and another, her “yanga” gets in the way hence the “calm down” and “woah-woah”.
See full lyrics, and English translation below.
Calm Down lyrics and translation by Kizz Daniel
Intro
Vibez
Another banger
Chorus
Baby, calm down, calm down
Girl, this your body e put in my heart for lockdown, for lockdown, oh lockdown – Girl, your body is is captivating my heart
Girl, you sweet like Fanta ooh, Fanta ooh
If I tell you, say, “I love you,” no dey form yanga oh, oh yanga oh – If I tell you say “I love you”, stop being snobbish
No tell me no, no, no, no, woah, woah, woah, woah
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Baby, come gimme your lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah
You got me like woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah
Shawty come gimme your lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah, mhmm
Verse 1
I see this fine girl for my party she wear yellow
Every other girl they dey do too much but this girl mellow
Naim I dey find situation I go use take tell am hello
Finally I find way to talk to the girl but she no wan follow
Who you come dey form for? (Mhmm)
Why you no wan’ conform? (Mhmm)
Then I start to feel her bum bum warm (Mhmm)
But she dey gimme small, small woah
I know say she sabi pass that one, one (Mhmm) – I know she can do more than that
But she feeling insecure woah
‘Cause her friends go dey gum her like chewing gum (Mhmm) – Her friends her glued to her waist
Go dey gum her like chewing gum, woah, woah, ooh
Chorus
Baby, calm down, calm down
Girl, this your body e put in my heart for lockdown, for lockdown, oh lockdown
Girl, you sweet like Fanta ooh, Fanta ooh
If I tell you, say, “I love you,” no dey form yanga oh, oh yanga oh
No tell me no, no, no, no, woah, woah, woah, woah
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Baby, come gimme your lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah
You got me like woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah
Shawty come gimme your lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah, mhmm
Verse 2
As I reach my house I say, “Make I rest small” (Make I rest small)
As me I wake up na she dey my mind, oh-woah (Na she dey my mind, oh-woah)
Day one, day two-wo, I no fit focus (I no fit focus)
Na so me I call am, say make we link up (I say make we link up)
As I start to dey tell her how I feel now my heart dey race
Baby girl if you leave me I no go love again
Because e get many girls wey put my heart for pain
Shebi you feel my pain? Yeah, yeah – You feel my pain dont you?
Chorus
Baby, calm down, calm down
Girl, this your body e put in my heart for lockdown, for lockdown, oh lockdown
Girl, you sweet like Fanta ooh, Fanta ooh
If I tell you, say, “I love you,” no dey form yanga oh, oh yanga oh
No tell me no, no, no, no, woah, woah, woah, woah
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Baby, come gimme your lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah
You got me like woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah
Shawty come gimme your lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-woah-woah-woah-woah-woah, mhmm