Rema shares the inspiration behind his album ‘HEIS’

Nigerian superstar Rema said his second album ‘HEIS’ was motivated by a desire to go against the status quo.

After scoring a global hit in ‘Calm Down’, Rema followed up the success with the release of his sophomore album ‘HEIS’ which showcases his peculiarity.

In a new interview on The Breakfast Club, Rema shared that his new album was inspired by his desire to go against consumer expectations.

According to the singer who scored Afrobeats’ first song with 1 billion Spotify streams, his album ‘HEIS’ was an effort to make something different from what was obtainable in Nigerian mainstream pop music.

“I like the way I moved on to my new project. I don’t like to move the way people expect. I don’t like to move with the rules,” Rema said on his sophomore album whose upbeat production and breathless delivery are markedly different from the current Afrobeats soundscape.

Rema has restated his desire to make a different sound through his previous comments on the album. During his listening party in London, Rema shared that his album ‘HEIS’ was his effort to make Afrobeats that is not easy for foreigners to replicate, unlike the work of other artists who are dumbing down the sound and making it easy for foreigners to recreate.

In his interview on The Breakfast Club, Rema also talked about his journey into music and it took a while before his mother accepted his decision to be an artist.

You can watch Rema’s full interview on The Breakfast Club below.