Kae Tempest has, for some time, been a critical voice in the UK alternative scene. Always on hand to deliver cutting observations of life in Britain, he’s lauded as a Mercury- and BRIT-nominated musician and as a poet and writer. On his fifth album Self Titled, we see much more of the artist himself. After coming out as a transgender man earlier in the year, this is at once a reintroduction to the artist and a reminder that he is still the same exceptional lyricist and artist who grabbed our attention over a decade ago.
On Self Titled, Tempest skews closer to rap in hard-hitting numbers like Diagnoses and Statue on the Square. This album also sees him team up with some of the industry’s brightest new talents, Connie Constance and Young Fathers, as well as collaborating with Pet Shop Boys legend Neil Tennant.
There are two key strands to Self Titled; one which looks at community, and the other which focuses on the self. Opener I Stand on the Line explores everyday existence as a trans person living in the UK, at a time when the government is becoming more openly hostile. From the effects of hormone replacement therapy to transphobic aggression, this is a rich and bold opening that sets the tone for the album. Later on, Breathe is a relentless probe into the past.
The other side of the album is more personal and romantic in tone. Sunshine on Catford paints a picture of the comfort and peace that comes from a loving relationship with a pop-adjacent earworm of a chorus. Know Yourself is a masterclass in vulnerability as Tempest samples one of his own early spoken-word performances in a trippy conversation of the self.
Self Titled is an apt title for Tempest’s fifth studio album; a reintroduction to the artist as his truest self. Cinematic in its instrumentation and incisive in its lyricism, this album continues to cement Kae Tempest as a unique and essential voice in the UK.
