Reviews

In HEIS, the rave lord invites us back into the world he built at his O2 show. The symbol of the bat shows up in the album cover of his sophomore album. With a wilder, more imposing production, Rema stakes his claim in the world of afrobeats, “No more big three, there’s now a big four,” he announces in the single ‘HEHEHE.’

Amaarae’s new release Fountain Baby explores the full spectrum of desire. The world she builds through the record is that of a woman who takes pleasure and playfulness very seriously, whilst being aware that overindulgence comes at a cost. Fountain Baby is erotic, bitter, cocky, and divine all at once. She wants and wants some more, but not without recognising that it’s the excess that could be her undoing.

Maybe, the collaborative EP by Ukweli and Xenia Manasseh, is a less than 20-minute EP made up of 5 songs. It is not their first musical partnership; they’ve previously worked together on songs Potion with Hiribae, and Waiting. But it is the first extensive piece of group work from the two artists, and it works precisely because they are able to meet each other halfway without either artist’s sensibilities taking precedence over the other’s.

Rema arrived on the scene by way of a self-titled EP released in March 2019, and by the end of that year the Mavin Records signee was being heralded as leading a new generation of afrobeats artists. Since this acclaim the young artist has received even more praise with even heftier bangers like Woman, enjoyed collaborations with heavy hitters like Tiwa Savage (as well as been teased to collaborate with the likes of Lil Nas X and Drake), all while amassing a global fanbase. The road leading to his debut album has been paved with so much promise that to declare it much anticipated might be an understatement.

Talia Hibbert’s Brown sister trilogy is a delightful smorgasbord of varying characters. Each with their worlds and personalities curated so specifically, as to make those with similar quirks feel uncanny about their lives splayed out on the page. There’s Chloe, a chronically ill web designer obsessed with lists; Danika, a bisexual academic averse to romance; and Eve, a chaotic ball of sunshine on the autistic spectrum, with a great love for music. Representation matters, sure, but feeling seen? That’s the real game-changer. Romance has the gift of engaging in both the specifics as well as the universal truth that at the end of the day, we all want to be loved. In exploring this truth through characters made so precisely and carefully, she offers us the best of both worlds.

In the second release from the Small Axe compilation, Lovers Rock, McQueen abandons a heavily plot-driven production and instead leans into the slice-of-life sensibilities to create a stunning evocation of a Saturday Blues Night. Set almost entirely at a party for the duration of a night, Lovers Rock weaves together the multiple themes and stories of West Indians in London, as told by a vibrant house party.