Kae Tempest

Kae Tempest

Kae Tempest’s fifth album, Self Titled, was born unexpectedly. After setting aside an earlier project that no longer felt right, Kae began working with Grammy-winning producer Fraser T Smith. What started as an attempt to overcome a creative block quickly evolved into a new album, shaped by spontaneous and intense studio sessions. Encouraged by Smith to write in the first person, Kae found a more direct and personal voice.

At its heart, Self Titled is a conversation between Kae’s past, present, and future selves — a love letter to their younger self, but also a reflection on identity, doubt, resistance, love, and acceptance. Deeply intimate, the record still carries the collective spirit that defines Kae’s work, inviting listeners to see something of themselves in it.

Musically, the album moves between intensity and vulnerability. Tracks like ‘I Stand On The Line’ and ‘Statue In The Square’ showcase both cinematic ambition and playful energy, while songs such as ‘Diagnoses’ and ‘Hyperdistillation’ explore neurodiversity, trauma, and self-understanding. The project also features notable collaborations, including Young Fathers and Tawiah.

Born in Lewisham, London, in 1985, Kae Tempest is a musician, poet, playwright, novelist, and performer whose career began as a teenage MC. Since their Mercury-nominated debut Everybody Down in 2014, they have built a singular body of work across music and literature. With Self Titled, Kae continues that path with an album that feels both personal and instinctively alive.