The landscape changes quickly over the course of
Rave & Roses, the striking debut full-length from Nigerian pop force
Rema. The vocalist/songwriter calls on smooth R&B, electronic textures, sunny pop hooks, light rap flows, and other styles, moving seamlessly from one notion to the next. This can take the form of sleek, melodic dance pop on acoustic guitar loop-based tracks like "Calm Down" or the meaty "Soundgasm," spare emotional expression on the
Chris Brown-featuring R&B jam "Time N Affection," and even
Weeknd-styled '80s synth pop throwbacks on the dazzled neon production of "Addicted."
Rema doesn't settle on any specific delivery, but happily bops between styles from song to song. In addition to the already versatile palette he tackles solo, he gets into West Coast golden era G-Funk territory with special guest
AJ Tracey on "FYN", and makes room for
6Lack to add a simmering Auto-Tuned hook on atmospheric trap-pop banger "Hold Me." ~ TiVo Staff
