Earlier this year, Kae Tempest came out as a trans man – five years after initially identifying as non-binary in 2020 and dropping the ‘t’ from their first name. The oft-used phrase that a release is an artist’s “most personal yet” rings especially true for Self Titled. Across a series of intimate, emotionally resonant tracks, Tempest reflects on the challenges and breakthroughs that accompanied his transition.
These autobiographical dialogues – often addressed to a younger or future self – are framed within broader social and cultural contexts. And it’s not only on a lyrical level that Tempest breaks new ground; musically, too, he ventures into fresh territory. Where earlier albums focused his sharp-eyed, ambient-tinged spoken word on the fractures of urban life under late capitalism – always with an undertow of empathy – this time Tempest draws more directly from personal experience.
In doing so, he reaches for pop’s broader palette: nods to ’90s hip-hop sit alongside flashes of electro-pop. There’s even a full-blown love song – the soaring »Sunshine On Catford«, featuring Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant on guest vocals. The album was produced by Grammy-winner Fraser T. Smith, known for his work with Adele and Stormzy.
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Self Titled
