Single Review: Primal

Tamaki Makaurau alternative RnB artist tei. released her new single Primal on the 21st of April.

Her latest release since 2019’s Britney, which racked up over 660,000 plays on YouTube with no music video, Primal sees tei return with a moody yet head bopping track about a jealous, unhealthy relationship. 

Co-produced with regular collaborator Auto Angel, the track wastes no time in getting started, with tei’s crisp vocals leading us straight into the verse, accompanied by heavy electronic bass, strong beats and a twinkling counter melody played on keys, a nice contrast to the mostly dark instrumentation. The melody is catchy, and the track manages to wriggle its way into my head pretty quickly after the first listen. Although it first comes across as a simple RnB track, tei keeps us on our toes with a key change after the second chorus into a dreamy, uplifting outro. 

Tei’s mesmerising, velvety vocals coupled with polished production make for a smooth, hypnotising track. tei makes a strong return, and I look forward to seeing what she does next.