Exactly one year after its release, Rema’s bold and boundary-pushing sophomore album HEIS is still echoing through the global soundscape—less as a chart-chasing Afrobeats project, and more as a coded love letter to the real fans who’ve stayed on his frequency.
While many albums chase virality, Rema built HEIS as an immersive, symbolic journey. Not for the passive playlist surfer. Not for the hype. This was art for the believers.
The Zodiac Drop: When Timing Meets Destiny
In what he dubbed his “Author’s Notes” on X, Rema revealed why HEIS had to drop in 2024—the Year of the Dragon, aligning with his Chinese zodiac. That energy, he says, was woven into every corner of the album. Just like the mysterious dragon motifs on his Ravage and Raves & Roses artwork, HEIS came from a place of cosmic alignment and spiritual storytelling.
“This wasn’t an album for the now. It was a record for the timeline of my life,” Rema wrote.
No Rollout, No Rules — Just Reverence
Forget teaser trailers, mega merch, or collector’s editions. Rema deliberately stripped the rollout down to its bones:
No CDs.
No vinyl.
No street teams or TikTok trends.
Instead, he told his label: “Only the core Ravers can carry this weight… this isn’t for the ones looking for a vibe. This is for the ones who came for the story.”
The result? A raw, almost mythic drop that felt more like discovering a secret than streaming a release.
Rema vs. the World: Taking Afrobeats Back Home
At a private listening session in London, Rema made a defiant statement: Afrobeats is losing its soul to Western pandering.
“You can’t make ‘Ozeba’ or ‘Azaman’ if you’re thinking Billboard. You make those songs when you’re tapped into the land, the culture—Benin, Nigeria.”
With HEIS, he chose depth over digestibility. Instead of tailoring the sound for international ears, he carved an identity that’s proudly Nigerian—unapologetically his.
Experiment Over Expectation
At his Breakfast Club interview, Rema made it clear: “I don’t like to move how people expect. I don’t move with rules.”
That ethos pulses through HEIS. From the gothic soul of “March Am”, to the sonic chaos of “Yayo”, to the tribal chants on the title track—Rema, with co-producer P.Priime, took Afrobeats into new, sometimes jarring territory.
It’s Afrobeats on acid, and it left casual listeners scrambling, but real ones locked in.
“Benin Boys”: A Battle Cry in Melody
HEIS kicks off with “Benin Boys”, a fiery collaboration with Shallipopi, another Benin City export. More than a track, it was a hometown anthem—a flag planted for their people.
“I wanted the first voice on this album to be someone from where I come from,” Rema said. “This wasn’t a feature—it was a statement.”
Love It or Leave It: Divisive by Design
Like any bold project, HEIS split the room. Critics who expected club bangers were caught off guard by its emotional density and sonic detours. But for many, it felt like a breath of fresh air.
“Afrobeats has been coasting. This album shook the table,” said music critic Motolani Alake.
Others, like Joey Akan, called it “a necessary reset” that reminded the world Afrobeats can evolve without losing its core.
For the Fans Who Stayed, Not the Crowd That Scrolled
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Zodiac Timing | Released in the Year of the Dragon, his birth sign |
| No Hype Strategy | Dropped without marketing fluff |
| Sound Experiments | Blended death-rock, goth, tribal, and soul |
| Cultural Anchoring | Proudly rooted in Benin City and Nigerian heritage |
| Targeted Audience | For engaged, story-seeking listeners |
