When NME final spoke with Tems in late 2021, amid a flurry of newly-minted accolades, she playfully hinted at a bigger venture on the horizon. But, it wouldn’t arrive for an additional three years. Following a memorable look on Wizkid’s 2020 world smash ‘Essence’, alongside collaborations with Beyoncé, Drake, and Rihanna, the four-year journey to ‘Born In The Wild’ has been shrouded in hype. On the Sade-like standout ‘Boy O Boy,’ Tems displays on the media stress she has confronted: “It’s all around the information, all around the information / I do know this below the solar, looking for my focus.”
On her long-awaited debut, the Lagos-born artist embodies the cautious intersection of African music’s rising cultural presence and the various array of genres discovered throughout her native West African homeland. From Highlife to hip-hop, ‘Born In The Wild’ exemplifies the area’s wealthy musical variety by way of Tems’ fluid strategy to style.
Throughout 18 tracks, the songwriter and producer exhibits off the total breadth of her sound, permitting listeners to unravel free threads of spirituality (‘Me & U’), whereas providing red-hot Afrobeat gems (‘Flip Me Up,’ ‘Eternally’) and percussive ’00s rap throwbacks (‘T-Unit’). On the latter, she channels her internal 50 Cent: “Now my youthful self, prepared for the warfare / Take her to the sweet store, she is aware of she received all of it.”
‘Born In The Wild’ additionally presents a handful of transient, insightful interludes (‘Particular Child Interlude,’ ‘Voices in My Head’) exploring familial ties, that are counterbalanced with themes of fast, unsteady development. ‘Wickedest’, in the meantime, positions her atop a cool, infectious groove, and with crystal-clear intonation, Tems sounds as assured as ever.
The luxurious, simmering fan-favourite ‘Love Me JeJe’ (with JeJe roughly translating to ‘smooth’ or ‘light’), the Asake-assisted ‘Get It Proper,’ and the soulful ‘Prepared’ are symbolic of the album’s driving power. Whereas famend for R&B and Afrobeat, right here, Tems shows a capability to meld contrasting sounds and tempos, permitting them to stream and interlock – seamlessly echoing notions of freedom.
Tems closes out the report with ‘You In My Face’ and ‘Maintain On’ – a one-two punch of finesse. The previous assumes a jazzy, melancholic tone, with Spanish guitar licks and daring affirmations of religion. The latter, in the meantime, is a spacey love letter to development, reminding listeners of the trial by fireplace one can bear so as to obtain private evolution.
Particulars
- Launch date: June 7
- Report label: RCA/Since 93
