Tems For Broken Ears EP Review
Tems and her music are good but does she have the crowd behind her? After releasing a single about a week ago, her much anticipated extended play project was released. Titled “For Broken Ears”, she summoned all her soul, RnB and Ballad energy in the music she released on the track list. Her songs are good and could be even better with time. Judging from the fact that she is still relatively unknown to the public especially in Nigeria, the maturity she puts in her music is top notch.
However she has to level up her sound and choose who her primary audience has to be. If she is looking at getting known by the Nigeria fan base just like Wrld, then she has to do music that Nigerians will appreciate. As a music critic, I may devote time to listen to her craft but that cannot be said about a fellow that works in the Lagos or Benin traffic. Her song lacks that element that will make a Nigeria pick her song a play it more than once. It is relatively uninteresting and un-relatable to a Nigerian listener. The excessive foreign flow bores one when playing the tracks.
These tracks are too boring for an EP. Her stories are original but the direction of the lyrics are very vague and unclear. Making songs that are interesting is all about sharing stories that is understandable by an average audience. But the complicated nature of her songs made her songs to sound too boring. They are poetic lyrics that have more meanings to it than many are really ready to sit down a digest.
Tems does not have to become an Afropop or Afrobeats artist to make simpler music. Asa is one musician who have built a portfolio of good ballad and Soul music and she can follow her lead. If she is going to be in same league or be appreciated the way Asa and Simi are applauded anytime they release their songs, then she has to make simpler music. If not, there is no use promoting her songs in Nigeria because no one will listen to her for second time.
THE THEME
The album which is a blend of Ballad, soul and RnB is lyrically themed at love/life issues and how Tems deals with it. For example in the song “Free Mind”, she sings about having a mind that is constantly noisy. She talks about having to always deal with a mind always talking to her uncontrollably. She talks about needing time for herself to free her mind from all the issues her mind is bringing up.
The opening song which is titled interference; she talks about her relationship and the plans she has for her lover. She claims that she will always interfere with what he does. She claims that the life she has with him is a life of no shame and pain. Claiming that she has peace and joy with him, he tells him that she is going to always disturb and invade his space because she loves being with him.
“Higher” is a song that talks about her reaction to her man when he messes up. Asking him why he created a crisis in their relationship, she asks him why he comes to her asking for what he threw away. According to her she was not ready for his mess by underlying that she does no hear one thing he is saying. She however finishes off by claiming that she will always wait for him because she is higher.
“The Key” is a song that she uses to tell her lover to tag along with her. She promises him that they will break ground and become big in the future provided they work together as team. She asks her lover to stay with her because she will be his strength when people are trying to bring him down. She promises to provide the key to save him and keep him in safety.
POSSIBLE HITS AND FLOPS
“Free mind” and “interference’ could become hit songs if people understand what she is saying. “Ice T” might become a flop song because just like the others the poetry is complicated. If the EP becomes a hit then is will be down to aggressive promotion.
Tems For Broken Ears EP Review
