Tamera colours in a modern romance with R&B anthem "Good Love"

Taken from her forthcoming EP Afrodite, her track reveals an emotional capability far beyond her 24 years.

“Good Love” is an autumnal ode to romance. Beginning with a soft and repetitive selection of synthesised strings before Tamera enters, her vocals match the playful beats and warm tones. The song grows and develops much like a first date, addressing the nature of love with a splash of lyrical humour with lines like "got me on tap /on WAP".

A standout moment of the song is the feature with Tay Iwar, well known for his work with WizKid. Iwar’s vocals permeate gaps left in the melody before the two artists’ voices combine. Providing an echo of Tamera’s earlier stripped-back vocals in the song, the duo has made a track that reflects the give-and-take of modern relationships. Not only do their vocals harmonise and overlap, but the connection between vocals and instrument reminds the listener of the back-and-forth modern love is built on. Layered and emotive, Tamera’s latest track reinforces her nature as a singer to watch.

Tamera grew up in a small town in Kent, known as Gravesend. Now based in London, she has already established herself within the capital’s music scene. When asked about her process, Tamera revealed singing and song-writing had been a large part of her life from a young age. She was surrounded and uplifted by women in her life, with a mother who would play the likes of Beyoncé around the house, and a grandmother who was a minister in the church. She cites the importance of writing and words and the impact of other people who have helped her “maximise her talents.”.

Like everyone, Tamera’s ability to make music was hindered by the pandemic, but she says “it forced me to become self-efficient” - often writing tunes in her kitchen.

"Good Love" is produced by P2J, who has also worked with Doja Cat, Lily Allen and Beyoncé. The collaboration was a long-time coming, as Tamera explains: “when we made music, we made magic.” The ethereal and angelic quality of Tamera’s vocals combined with the elegantly layered beats serves as a testament to such a statement.

Her debut EP, Afrodite, released on November 18, is Tamera’s attempt to understand the idiosyncrasies of love. She states that every song on the album “comes from a place of love,” whether the love is “tough love, true love, lusty love… Afrodite is a metamorphosis project. I’m transcending into my most powerful self… I tried to be as honest as possible.”

The EP, named after the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and passion, is “a subtle nod to [Tamera’s] Greek heritage.” The twist on the spelling emerged from Tamera’s heritage too, as she explains, “I used the spelling “Afrodite” [because] I’m also an African woman and predominant sonics of the project are heavily influenced by African culture. The mix of [Greek and African culture] create a perfect blend of passion, vulnerability, sass, brutal honesty, and vim.”

Tamera names her influences as Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, James Brown and Quincy Jones upon the EP, and dreams of collaborating with Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and Frank Ocean. Afrodite, and “Good Love”, are profoundly visual pieces, each single paired with album art dripping in dreamy saturation. She echoes this when asked to describe her music, saying simply, “Colourful. My songs are different shades of my life."