“Why I don’t write my songs” – Rema shares

• Nigerian Afrobeat artist Rema has confirmed that he does not write his songs.

• Rema revealed that he goes to the studio to express himself, unlike other stars who pay songwriters.

• He praised his unique musical abilities, admitting some lyrics don’t exist, and praised his debut song ‘Dumebi’ for its meaningful rhythm.

Nigerian Afrobeat star Rema has revealed that he doesn’t actually write his own songs. He shared that when he hits the studio, he just lets his creativity flow, unlike many artists who hire songwriters. Rema took pride in his unique musical talent, explaining that for him, creating a song comes naturally. He mentioned that some of his lyrics are just spontaneous sounds, recalling how his breakout track ‘Dumebi’ was crafted from a catchy melody rather than traditional words.

Rema emphasized that he doesn’t feel pressured to conform and can release any version of a song whenever he feels like it.

He said, “I’m in my own world. I don’t really write songs. I don’t write. I just go to the studio and have fun. Sometimes I end up saying things that do not even exist, that are not even words. Like my first hit song, the chorus was not even a word, I just expressed myself. I was just in my own world, enjoying what I do and that’s harmony. Like I say, if the vision was never for me, then why did it come? It’s like no English word or Nigerian word could match the vibration that that chorus would send. It was just meant to be gibberish and I did it, and it gave me the platform to express myself more. It gave me my first hit song. In Nigeria, we call that ‘lamba’, lamba is just something you create out of the aura of being in the studio and in that creative process, you just express that feeling. It’s like saying “boom” without saying it was an explosion.”

When talking about the inspiration for his hit ‘Hehehe’, the ‘Calm Down’ artist mentioned that it was a response to his critics. He noted that since he entered the Nigerian music scene, he’s faced a lot of criticism, but he’s turned that into motivation.

He said, “The haters inspired ‘Hehehe’. Day in, day out, people are talking about me, but y’know, I’m stacking up every second. It’s time to do better with your time. People have been hating one me since I dropped my first tape at 19. I’ve been criticized a lot. I would say I’ve not been babysitted at all. I’ve been poked for years and if no one got my heart, they will literally cry. I feel like over time, even with my phases, the game kinda made me colder and colder. I came with a loving heart. I spread so much love. But sometimes you just want to give back that energy, and just pop out.”

Nigerians were buzzing with excitement and shared their opinions in a big way. Rema has quickly become one of the hottest Afrobeat artists since he started, making history as the first Nigerian singer to reach 1 billion streams on a single track on Spotify.

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