Poet-musician Kae Tempest showcases their brighter side on ‘Love Harder’, the first track from new EP ‘Nice Idea’.
On earlier work, Tempest seemed to be well in the midst of a misunderstood angst, detailing the messy relationships and troubled circumstances related to a realm of societal, cultural and emotional issues.
While previously Tempest was right in the eye of this angsty hurricane, their latest single ‘Love Harder’ seems much more content and at peace in comparison.
The track seems to be coming from a place of acceptance, with Tempest exuding a solid understanding of who they are: “My pronouns are they/them / Or he/him also works”. Tempest’s feet are firmly planted in self-acceptance and their identity, and they’re not afraid to stand up for themselves either.
The simplistic two-part hook reflects this: “When it burns brighter / A lover like me learns to be a fighter / When it gets darker / A fighter like me learns to love harder”. With no further explanation needed, Tempest showcases a huge level of self-respect mixed with compassion.
The instrumental is relaxed, lazily humming below with electronic percussion and a minimalistic guitar melody carrying the track with little variation. However, this allows Tempest’s poetry to be the main focal point of the song.
It seems as if no one is doing it quite like Kae Tempest. Fusing poetry and spoken word loaded with intent with a niche experimental style of musicianship, their artwork has been praised in various avenues spanning music, poetry and literature - recognised by the BRIT School, the BRIT Awards, Sunday Times and the Mercury Music Prize to name just a few.
Their new April 2023 EP 'Nice Idea' is sure to receive the same level of acclaim. Tempest created the record in a mere few days squeezed into a busy touring period, only further perpetuating their incredible creative legacy and work ethic. Their continued dedication and exploration of music is completely evident and is one of the main reasons why their work is consistently impressive and exciting.
Both ‘Love Harder’ and ‘Nice Idea’ are available to stream now!
Rachel Feehan
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comment Here;