ROCKSTAR REMA RELEASES NEW ALBUM HEIS

Standing on the shoulders of the giants, Rema has taken Afrobeats to a level where only he resides, confidently forming an afro-rock, alté subculture despite the criticism that followed his O2 Arena performance last year.

His controversial performance left fans unimpressed, disappointed, and concerned for the rumoured spiritual influence behind with his artistic choices. Such experience at the height of his career was sure to have an impact on the 24 year old global afrobeats star. It’s safe to say that the release of this album is his perfectly timed response to his critics and the entertainment space.

On HEIS, Rema embraces a sinister soundscape to tell us that he is that guy, with his only concerns being to drop bangers, make money, and ultimately provide for his family.

The project was intentionally curated to make a statement and to tell a story through the connection of each track. MARCH AM opens the project, the beat flowing smoothly and morphing into AZAMAN with both tracks wearing a demanding, braggadocious presence. HEHEHE follows closely behind with a playful, vocally experimental, taunting response to his hater.

YAYO takes us back to the Rema we grew to love, wrapped with the familiar Amapiano sounds of deep hitting drums. Feeding the Benin renaissance, BENIN BOYS is the track featuring none other than his Benin brother, Shallipopi. The dark organ keys stretching through the track slowly brings us back to Rema’s menacing soundscape before we are ushered to the title track, HEIS. The Prince of Afrobeats is accompanied by a choir singing in Swahili as he sings of the career threshold he crossed, standing proudly as a champion.

If you thought HEHEHE was his most playful track on this album, I’d like to introduce you to OZEBA. This is arguably one of his most experimental tracks with the use of exaggerated, ingressive vocals. You’ll realise the dance is not over when you hear WAR MACHINE ft ODUMODUBLVCK and the chorus triggers your stank face. Although ODUMODUBLVCK is usually a great choice as a feature, his contribution on this occasion lacks the rebellious substance needed to match Rema’s audacious style. This isn’t an entirely missed opportunity as the pair can experiment with their collective vocal arrangements, when performing live.

EGUNGUN’s strings of repetitive electronic keys decorate the track with marching drums to create an eerie soundscape. We see this extending to VILLAIN, warmed by his backing vocals which are layered to perfect the melancholic body of this project. He sings of a fine life with fine girls as he embraces the trajectory of his career, where he goes from superhero to villain.

NOW I KNOW is the track where the darkest lyrics are accompanied by the least sinister soundscape of the project. We hear a broken-hearted Rema making an honest attempt to lay bare his feelings, as he reflects on the criticism and tension he experienced when pursuing this career path.

Rema wasn’t testing the waters with his performance at the O2 arena last year. This project is an extension of a statement he has made time and time again, not only throughout this album but through his earlier lover boy, pop days.

Rema is challenging dedicated Afrobeats fans to loosen the grips we have on the genre as it expands at a exponential rate. We can either appreciate his contributions to the genre or make space for a different fan base to value his work, as it has been done with segments of electronic, rock and other genres of black origin.

You can stream his album below and discover more from GUAP’s Music section here!