Tems has steadily released music since 2018, including work with other artists and two extended plays—For Broken Ears (2020) and If Orange Was a Place (2021). And while I’m not as familiar with her discography as some of the other artists I’ve mentioned for this segment on Our Thoughts Precisely, I was still looking forward to her 2024 album after I watched the livestream of her performance at this year’s Coachella. Titled Born in the Wild, Tems’ debut was released on June seventh with eighteen songs, including the singles Love Me Je Je and Me & U. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!
I’ve loved a number of the R&B albums being released this year, and Born in the Wild is one of the best I’ve listened to so far in 2024. It sits solidly in its genre, but the quality and creativity of the lyrics and production made for an engrossing listening experience. And I have to praise Tems’ vocal performance. She has a very distinct voice, and the delivery across the track list was consistent. Born in the Wild also had two features, from the artists J. Cole and Asake, on Free Fall and Get It Right respectively.
At the end of the day, Born in the Wild was stylish and lyrically complex, and a great body of work showcasing Tems’ talent.
