Nigerian Artist Rema received an influx of mixed reviews online after dropping his long-awaited second album Heis on July 11. His intention with this project was to connect to his roots and maintain his Nigerian heritage despite his mainstream success with his single “Calm Down.” But not all his fans have been receptive to his album release, deeming his new sound as “too experimental.” At what point should artists prioritize their fanbase’s desires vs their artistic expression? Let’s explore how Rema’s newest album maintains artistic integrity despite his monumental rise to stardom.

Afrobeats Background

Rema is categorized as an Afrobeats artist which is a style that has only recently become popularized in the U.S. due to a wave of interest in African Culture, especially after the global success of the hit Marvel movie Black Panther. However, most people have a misconception that Afrobeats includes any African artist who makes African or African-infused music, which is far from the case; Africa has numerous music genres, though Afrobeats is the most popular genre on the continent. Knowing the difference is important because putting all African artists in one category reinforces the idea that all African artists are the same.

The origin of what we know as Afrobeats evolved from Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that was founded by music legend Fela Kuti in the 1970s. Fela used traditional Yoruba music infused with West African and American genres to create Afrobeat. Eventually, the term Afrobeats was coined in the U.K. after a wave of interest in West African music in the 2010s. It became an easier way to package the emerging sound of popular West African music to a global audience.

Heis’ Criticism

Rema has described his music as Afro-rave, a sub-genre of Afrobeats that has the flexibility to maintain any beat pattern. Heis has a punk rock, upbeat, raw energy throughout most of the album, starting with the very first song. For someone who is known for his lover-boy public persona, Rema shocked his core audience with the new villain character we experience throughout the album. It has left some questioning whether this project is part of a public rebrand because the album cover also has dark themes.

The most critical response to his album is the very same reason others love it: its unique and bold sound. Some fans find it too overstimulating and chaotic to fully enjoy, as it samples a mixture of many musical elements. Many fans were expecting club hits for the summer and despite the album being full of energy, the beat samples were still too different from what they are used to.

Another critique has been on Rema’s songwriting on Heis, which some fans find arrogant. He addresses his rise to fame and contribution to Afrobeats in a very daring tone that has been perceived as prideful by some listeners. From a moral standpoint, some fans cited the dark gothic aesthetics as demonic due to their religious beliefs, putting them off from intentionally experiencing the musical production of Heis. Fortunately, Rema maintained artistic integrity in the face of pressure from his fanbase.

Heis’ Positive Reception

The most positive critique of the album has been for Rema’s revival of Afrobeats with masterful music production on the new record. He selected unexpected beats that most artists would not attempt to experiment with. The bold sound production feels very theatrical, and fans have claimed some of the songs are worthy of being a music score for a thriller movie. In the song “War Machine,” Rema samples two different songs back to back but still manages to maintain his authenticity through his African interpretation of the music he samples. His bold music exploration is exactly what some fans believe is needed right now in the Afrobeats scene.

Another positive critique is how authentically African Heis is, even with the experimentation throughout the album. Fans appreciate his lack of catering to a mainstream audience by using Nigerian Pidgin throughout the album. This is especially liberating for Africans in the diaspora because it is important to see a mainstream African Artist prioritize his roots instead of conforming to please a larger audience. Fans of the album feel like Rema made Heis entirely for himself and his audience will have to catch up with him. Rema also prioritizes his cultural expression by featuring Nigerian Artists in his songs “Benin Boys” and “War Machine,” the only two features on the album. This is a bold statement for a global artist who is expected to feature international artists for publicity purposes.

The infusion of Swahili, the most spoken language in Africa, in the titular song “Heis,” was another surprise that fans appreciated. Highlighting other African languages through music collaboration increases the visibility and advancement of African culture. Some fans have even been vocal about learning Swahili because of the song. It seems that Rema’s intention to produce an undiluted African album while still sampling and experimenting with different layers of sound has been quite successful.

Rema’s Artistic Integrity

Before the release of his album, Rema did an interview with Apple Music where he stated that the perception of Afrobeats is becoming commercialized and, as a result, his new fans may not understand what authentic Afrobeats sounds like. Rema was aware that Heis would be polarizing because mainstream media has conditioned fans to prefer a more Afropop sound. “That Rema you don’t want is the Rema that someone else wants,” he said. Despite this expectation — and being signed to an American record label — Rema prioritized Nigerians and other Africans as his core audience. This is a great representation of artistic integrity because Rema centers what matters to him.

After the release of Heis, Rema was spotted at a club promoting the album when he expressed the importance of gatekeeping Afrobeats. He explained that watering down Afrobeats for an international audience only makes it easier for other artists to replicate. He fears that this will result in non-Africans winning an Afrobeats award because of their eventual dominance of the style. This is why his artistic direction on Heis matters to him. For Rema, it is bigger than the music or accolades — it is about cultural preservation.

For a dynamic, Afropunk musical production, be sure to check out Rema’s new album on Spotify.