Rema Releases New Album HEIS

Rema released his sophomore album, HEIS, on July 11.

Fans have been highly anticipating HEIS since the release of the Afro-singer’s debut album, Rave & Roses. The album spawned the explosive hit “Calm Down,” among others, and certified him as the new wave amongst Nigerian pop stars.

second Album ‘HEIS’ 7/11 pic.twitter.com/l9T23lYduJ

— REMA (@heisrema) July 8, 2024

Lead singles from the album include “BENIN BOYS” AND “HEHEHE.” The singer collaborated with Shallipopi on “BENIN BOYS,” an ode to the star’s hometown of Benin City, with the lyric: “Na we be the pride of Benin, Oba sef suppose give us medal.”

The lead single was released on June 20, marking the Afrobeat prince’s return to music. “BENIN BOYS” debuted at number 13 on the U.S. Afrobeats songs chart. A music video was also made for “BENIN BOYS,” which you can watch below.

The “Soundgasm” singer released “HEHEHE” on July 7, where he reflects on his newfound success and taunts his haters with the lyric: “Account balance don dey resemble dem politician / They say I live like a fraudster,” he quips. “We no dеy show am for Insta / Scatter thе club wey we enter.” He also created a lyric visualizer for the song on his YouTube channel. You can watch it below.

The album has 11 songs with a runtime of under 30 minutes.

Through the album, Rema tackles being at the forefront of Afropop with his overwhelming success. However, the Afrorave star is content with his place in Afrobeats and knows he deserves success. Features besides Shallipopi include the Abuja rapper ODUMODUBLVCK.

The “Calm Down” singer held a listening party in Lagos, where he assured fans that his album would be a return to Afrobeats and have little influence from Amapiano. He also revealed that HEIS comes from the Greek word “εἷς” (he’s), which translates to “number one.” The title reflects the album’s theme of unity.

Rema says he is here to revive Afrobeats from the Amapiano pandemic pic.twitter.com/l7eCzAmGqF

— HYPETRIBE (@hypetribeng) July 11, 2024

The “Wine” singer pays homage to those before him on HEIS. Last year, he won the Headies’ Best Male Artist of the Year award, in which he thanked the media and award organizers for making superstars what they are. He nods to fellow Afrobeats stars Tiwa Savage and Crayon and mentions Burna Boy on “War Machine,” one of his longest inspirations.

Next month, Rema is scheduled to headline Afro Nation Detriot. To check out his new album, HEIS, click the link here.