Few days prior to the release of his debut album, the Nigerian singer told his fans and music lovers to have no expectations for his recent project, and it seems he has ended up exceeding the non-existent expectations.
“Rave and Roses” is just another example of Rema showing us that, he’s a master chef in this kitchen, and if you find yourself in there, you just keep quiet and eat whatever food you’re served. The lead singles “Soundgasm,” “Calm Down” and “FYN” couldn’t prepare one for this “eargasm” of an album.
Right off the bat, he makes us know how special a person he is on “Divine,” which sets the tone perfectly for the 6lack assisted “Hold Me.” There, we see the Rema we know, surfing as usual on stripped down instrumentation.
“Dirty” paints the picture of the francophone queen gyrating her waist in the corner of that lit party, it was only right Rema at a point said, “take it easy nau,” because you could feel the intensity already. Same sentiments with “Calm Down” and “Soundgasm,” which have already done and continue to do a madness on Instagram and Tiktok.
Then suddenly, things get taken up a notch on “Time N Affection.” Those Chris Brown vocals sit perfectly on the song; at this rate, we can conclude that Breezy has collected all seven stones of riding on an Afrobeats song.
“Jo” and “Mara” are those songs you play on a night when you’re cuddling with your girl, and you want her to know what she means to you. If you ever make it off the couch and into the bedroom, “Love” and “Addicted” are the songs for the moment.
“Are you there” and “FYN” echoes the Rema we see on Twitter with his occasional threads, talking “his sh*t.” After that quick break of him talking “his sh*t,” it’s back to the baby making bops with “Oroma Baby,” “Carry” and “Wine.”
On the last song, Rema takes us back to the couch where we heard “Jo” and “Mara” for the first time. There couldn’t have been a perfect climax to this amazing body of work than “Runaway.”
At this point, the message is clear, Rema is that once in a generation artiste who’s blessed with the ability to define his own narrative. Whether one likes it or not he’s here to stay and would continue to make the music he wants and chart his own course.