R&B star Tamera releases her new EP L.I.T. (Lost In Translation), revealing her emotions across six tracks, including standouts “Poison” and “Diversion.” The project delves into the songstress’ personal experiences, blending Afrobeats, R&B, and hip-hop. It also addresses themes from codependency to overcoming trauma, building on the narrative of her 2021 debut, Afrodite.
Accompanying the EP is a Remi Laudat-directed video for “40 Days,” featuring Nigerian artist Ckay. Set in a West African community in Paris, the video portrays a romance built on resilience and mutual support. Laudat describes the project: “We paired a strong performance with a narrative, allowing Tamera and Ckay to embody characters that are inseparable and protective.”
“L.I.T., meaning Lost in Translation, is an accurate description of the way my slightly chaotic and intense emotions have me feeling a lot of the time. Writing this project pushed me to practice allowing myself to open up and confront some of the tough and raw feelings that have been pent up over the years,” Tamera explains. “I’ve written about the light, the darkness, the love, the hate, the confidence, and the shame that comes with being an over-sensitive, nonchalant, overthinking ‘it’s not that deep’ emotionally unavailable lover girl.”
L.I.T. offers a bold statement from Tamera, capturing her internal struggles and triumphs. The EP explores the complexities of her character, showcasing her as an artist unafraid to confront and express the diverse aspects of human emotion. Check out our interview below!
Let’s kick off with “Poison,” it’s such an incredible song! Could you talk me through the record or the personal meaning behind it?
Poison was written about a relationship between two people that had been plagued by a level of toxicity that has gone way past the point of return however, neither one will willingly let go so they decide to revel in it instead of leaving. They have essentially “picked their poison.”
Especially with these last few singles, love and relationships have been a prominent theme. How would you describe “love” and what’s your love language?
It’s hard to put love into any particular box as it can comes in so many different forms, and that’s one of the reasons I find it so fascinating. I’m a true lover in every sense, as I believe it’s the most powerful force in the world. I think my love language is understanding, empathy, patience, loyalty, and acts of service.
For us fans, it’s definitely been exciting to see the trajectory of your career and how much you’ve grown. Can you speak more to your evolution?
I think my evolution is grounded in being a constant student of my craft. One of the main reasons I love being a creative is that there’s infinite methods to making music and being able to self-express, so it never gets old. I’m constantly self-assessing in order to grow, and I learned very early on that almost everyone you come across has something of value that they can teach you whether they know it or not and I think all of these things push me to ever evolve.
I saw you also attended a few shows during London Fashion Week — are you really into it? How would you describe your style?
I’ve always loved fashion, I look at it as another one of the great arts of self-expression, so I’m making an effort to move into that world a bit more. I think my style is very true to my mood and I’m feeling down to the colors and textures I wear to the way I style them.
Whether it be your recent COLORS debut or live performances, how does fashion empower you on stage or in the studio?
When performing, I love that you can get away with a lot more than what you would just going out and about on a normal day. I like to like an art piece to really immerse myself into the performance. When I’m not performing, I like to dress to feel comfortable, not necessarily for comfort.
Pivoting back to music, you’re working on your upcoming L.I.T. EP. Although it’s mostly under wraps, what can you tell us about the project?
The project is a concoction of sultry yet powerful sounds. Conceptually, I am very honest and vulnerable and, at some points, almost a love letter to God, at other points a love letter to myself. I’m really proud of this project, it took a long time for me to create as I had to really make an effort to understand certain life experiences that contributed to the core of my concepts and learn not to be so hard on myself when addressing them.
That being said, how do you want listeners to feel when they hear your songs?
I want them to approach my songs with an open heart and an open mind. Whilst writing these songs, I also created a safe space for myself, and I can only hope that they can do the same for others.
