Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Divine Ikubor, widely known as Rema, has opened up about the deeper meaning behind his public rebranding, which sparked conversations across the music industry and social media last year.
The singer, who released his sophomore album HEIS in 2023, says the changes in his image, especially his smoking habit, were purely artistic and not a reflection of his personal life or character.
A bold new look before Rema’s HEIS
Ahead of HEIS, the singer shed his original image that featured a playful teddy bear mask and vibrant colours. In its place, he embraced a darker, edgier look.
He adopted tattoos, appeared smoking in photos and videos, and shifted toward deeper, more intense visuals and sounds. For many fans, it was a surprising transformation.
The change raised questions about whether the young star had strayed from his original identity. Some critics claimed he was trying to fit into an image that didn’t suit him. Others praised him for pushing creative boundaries. Now, one year after the album’s release, Rema is setting the record straight.
‘It’s all artistic expression’
In a reflective post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the Calm Down hitmaker said his new persona was meant to be symbolic, not literal. He stated clearly that his smoking and overall shift in appearance were simply expressions of art designed to complement the energy of the album.
“HEIS, the Anniversary,” he began. “I expressed a lot of surface-level reasons why I released this project over the course of interviews when it came out. But here are a few symbolic details that wrap around the energy of the project. I kept these for myself, but now I’d like to share.”
Rema referred to this explanation as his “author’s note,” giving fans deeper insight into the message behind the project.
Inspired by anime symbolism
The singer revealed that the HEIS album cover was heavily inspired by Itachi Uchiha, a character from the popular Japanese anime series Naruto. He said the character’s complexity, where truth is often masked as illusion and love is mistaken for betrayal, mirrored the story he wanted to tell with his album.
“The cover was inspired by Itachi in Naruto,” Rema explained. “The truth masked as illusion. Love buried under what y’all thought was betrayal, change of sound, smoking, looks, aesthetics, and choice of colour.”
By aligning his rebrand with the narrative of a misunderstood anime character, Rema aimed to challenge surface-level judgments and encourage fans to look deeper.
Smoking was for the look, not the habit
Although Rema was seen smoking in several promotional materials and live appearances, he made it clear that this was purely symbolic. He did not confirm whether he smokes in real life, but emphasised that the act was meant to match the darker theme and aesthetic of HEIS.
His clarification echoes comments made by fellow Nigerian artist Shallipopi, who last year also admitted to posing with cigarettes for visual effect. At the time, Shallipopi said he doesn’t smoke but uses cigarettes as props to fit a certain style or mood in videos and photos.
Fans react as Rema shares his truth
Following Rema’s anniversary message, fans took to social media to express their admiration for his honesty and artistic vision. Some praised him for explaining the deeper symbolism behind his rebrand, while others said they appreciated the vulnerability in his message.
The singer’s latest post has reignited discussions about how much of what celebrities show the public should be taken at face value. For Rema, it seems clear: art, not image, leads the way.
As HEIS marks its first anniversary, Rema continues to prove that he’s more than just a hitmaker; he’s an evolving storyteller, unafraid to shake things up in the name of creativity.
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