Rapper and singer, Divine Ibukor, popularly known as Rema, on Thursday released his sophomore album titled ‘HE IS’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2022, Rema released his critically acclaimed debut album, Rave and Roses, which featured collaborations with international artistes like Chris Brown, 6Black and AJ Tracey, among others.
In HE IS, an 11-track album in which is featured only two artistes, Shallipopi and Odumodublvck, Rema steps into a chapter of global stardom and being at the forefront of Afropop and Afrobeats.
In one of the tracks titled ‘Hehehe’, he expresses his desire to be respected for his contributions to the culture and music industry.
‘Benin Boys,’ which featured his fellow Benin native, Shallipopi, speaks about love for their hometown, as ‘March Am’ embodies his ambition and success; while ‘Yayo’ boasts of his achievements.
Rema had previously teased fans for the album’s release with two pre-released singles, ‘Benin Boys’ and ‘Hehehe’.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated sophomore album has sparked a frenzy on social media.
The 11-track album has met with widespread critical acclaim and fan adoration.
This new project follows Rema’s debut album, ‘Rave & Roses’, released in March 2022, which included his monster hit, ‘Calm Down’.
Music lovers and fans alike are taking to social media to praise Rema’s remarkable effort on the project.
The album’s release has sparked excitement on social media, with fans sharing their favourite tracks, lyrics, and reviews.
The hashtag, #HEISbyRema, is currently trending on X, with fans worldwide joining in on the conversation.
Fans are flooding social media platforms with posts, tweets, and comments, expressing their thoughts, opinions, and reviews of the album.
“Rema’s album is possibly one of the most successful sonic explorations I’ve ever heard.
“Every song is a bold statement that you can’t help but listen to. It’s African, it’s strong, it’s unique. I’ve never heard anything like this before,” Anthony Azekwoh said on X.
Joey Akpan says, “Once you click on the new Rema, just know you are signing up to the soundtrack of your greatness.
“High octane, enduring pacy tempo, bringing you to the point of overstimulation. Outsized beats, suitable to the club and raves.
“If you can hold that tempo, this is your project, Heis” means “number one” in Greek,” he said.
@OGB of Africa says, “Rema is a musical genius, Benin boys no dey carry last.
@mbahdeyforyou says, “Rema sang every song on his album with pidgin english, Going international didn’t stop him from staying true to his people.
@olumideog says, “I still maintain that Rema’s forward thinking on HEIS is what the Afrobeats industry needs at the moment.
“The sound has become too predictable and stale for the lack of a better word. We need more artists who aren’t afraid to experiment.
“His sound has always been different from everyone else and as he has dropped more mainstream Afrobeats music in the past.
“This album feels like the final form of that experimentation, hence the album he really wanted to make.”
On the contrary, popular critic on X, Daniel Regha, said Rema’s new album ‘HEIS’ was by far his worst project to date.
“He’s shown no growth or improvement after all these years and he is fast becoming a mediocre artiste.
“A few songs were catchy due to Rema’s rhymes, but that’s all. The lyric visualizers also seem occultic, same with the album cover.
“Tracks like “Ozeba” is simply noise on beats, while the rest were just him bragging unnecessarily.
“Another cause for concern were the Balenciaga references. The album is a 2/10, mostly thanks to production. No offense,” he said.
NAN reports that Rema gained widespread recognition in 2019 when he released the hit song, “Dumebi”.
This track played a key role in launching his career, setting a strong foundation for his promising journey in the music world.
One of the defining moments in Rema’s career was the release of his single, “Calm Down”, in 2022.
The remix of “Calm Down” featuring a collaboration with American singer and actress, Selena Gomez, soared to number three on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100.
It also dominated the U.S. Afrobeats songs chart for an unprecedented 58 weeks. (NAN)
Oladele Eniola
