Over time, we have seen Rema’s style and sound evolve

gradually but consistently.

from the e-boy inspired freestyler

who went on to drop his debut self titled EP in 2019.

to the raging king of the ravers

who currently has the highest charting Afrobeats song of all time.

we’ll take a look at some of his distinct sound and style features over the years

and some of our favorite looks from the different sonic era’s of the extremely versatile Afro popstar.

2019 Braided Dreads Rema

It’s 2019, Nigeria and the world have no clue what’s about to hit them.

following the release of his debut, self-titled E.P., the Mavins/Jonzing Records superstar received critical acclaim almost immediately.

despite the initial backlash for his unprecedented sound (something he still has to deal with to date), he still managed to gain a strong following that has steadily been on the rise.

This sonic era of Rema is when he introduces what we would describe as “an afro-fusion mix of Indian-Esque flow and catchy Benin-influenced slangs”.

he also shows of his western influenced trap sound with tracks like why and more of it later on with his freestyle EP.

Rema also arguably made Afrobeat/fusion EP’s popular during this period, and it would become a template for upcoming artists.

As for his style, Rema has definitely always been a stylish person.

but this version of Rema was still very experimental, and he hadn’t really come into his own.

he was still the adorable, very talented young kid with insane trap and afro pop freestyles

who had just gotten signed to a Big record label.

cross bags/chest rigs/fanny packs

chains on the hair and neck, baggy fits, and short pants.

these were some of the distinct features of Rema’s style during this period.

Pre-Album Rema

Slowly but surely, Rema grows more confident in his style and sound.

he’s in a new dimension now, literally.

the song with Skepta and JAE5 dropped during this period

along with a couple of bangers as he gears up to release his debut album.

a new haircut, two-piece outfits, shirtless styling

selected expensive-looking accessories and some mono chromatic looks

were some of the features that defined this era.

Post-Album Rema

Upon the release of his debut album “Rave and Roses,” Rema is set for world dominance.

featuring the multi record breaking smash hit with Selina Gomez, “Calm down”, Rema sound is more confident than ever.

The song initially gained traction as a single off the album before the remix featuring The Pop Artist.

The Collab resulted in the highest-charting hit from an Afrobeat’s lead artist in Billboard Hot 100 history, and the most streamed “African song” of all time.

This current version of Rema is just a build-up on the previous version.

he is more confident than ever in his sound, in his skin, and in his style.

we’re seeing him experiment more

with designer and high-end pieces.

occasional neck ties, more shirtless styling

tank tops, signature face masks and beanies/head gear

are reoccurring themes of this current era.

the Afro-pop superstar has fully embraced this new rave-core aesthetic.

Rema has definitely evolved style-wise and sonically

it’s interesting to see where he takes it from here.

Ravage Rema

This was arguably his most experimental era visually, this version of Rema, (named after his Ravage EP)

unlocks a new look for the Nigerian Afro-fusion star.

He embraces a more refined street-style look

featuring a bold new hairdo and trademark jewelry.
This era is particularly marked by his controversial O2 performance.
We should honestly expect nothing but theatrics from a Rave Lorde.
But, as it turns out, wearing a mask and mounting a stationary horse for a stage performance, will only get you “demonic” and “satanic” allegations.

as for his sound, we hear even more taunting and provocative slangs from the MAVINS artist in his music.

Next level production, ultra hyped execution, and borderline arrogance in his lyrics as some of the key characteristics of this version of Rema

HEIS H.I.M

We thought we had witnessed the unexpected, until “HEIS” came along.

Rema isn’t holding back at this point, he goes all out visually and sonically.

during the rollout, he leaned into a grunge, punk aesthetic so it was hard to determine what to expect next from the Afro-raver

that was until he dropped the snippet to the unconventional “HEHEHEHE”.

As is the case with most experimental sound, it was received with initial backlash until the audience warmed up to it.

Extreme deep and low Pitches, punk inspired adlibs, and full blown arrogance in his lyrics are some of the characteristics of this era.

the instrumentals featured even more advanced production with Afro fusion beats on rock and roll strings, and a variety of samples.

All in all, the majority of his sound at this point is New age Rave/Mosh inspired music, while still maintaining his roots

As for his style, he continues to build on what he had going during his Ravage era.

we see a lot of darker colors, more unconventional accessories, and more piercing’s.

we also see Rema wear more designers with a cult following, e.g Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, etc

He also attends his first louis Vuitton show during this era, shining even more light on his stylish persona.

Rema is definitely one of the most exciting artists out of this country, what do you think is next for Rema’s sound and style?