Kae Tempest – Diagnoses
Kae Tempest has perfected the art of making mental health sound like a celebration on ‘Diagnoses’, the third single from their forthcoming album ‘Self Titled’. Describing it as “a summer banger about antipsychotics and HRT”, Tempest transforms and navigates neurodiversity, dysphoria, and trauma flashbacks with the kind of candid poetry that makes her work complex, still accessible.
Co-produced by Fraser T Smith and Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers, ‘Diagnoses’ represents Tempest’s return to hip-hop roots while embracing contemporary pop sensibilities. Working with Smith – the Grammy-winner behind Adele and Stormzy – sparked unexpected creative directions, with the producer encouraging Tempest to write in first person and actively participate in production. The result captures resilience, threading Carl Jung samples through verses that acknowledge our collective struggles while insisting “we are all more alive than we give each other credit for.”
The song serves as a bridge between Tempest’s established spoken-word artistry and broader musical ambitions. Lines like “me and you and our trauma flashbacks, relaxing at home with a Horlicks / Backpacks stuffed full of my dysphoria, your dyspraxia” showcase their ability to find intimacy in shared dysfunction. It’s confessional without being precious, political without being preachy.
‘Self Titled’, due July 4th via Island Records, promises to be Tempest’s most personal work yet, exploring themes from grief to queer joy. If ‘Diagnoses’ is any indication, the album will offer a mirror and medicine for anyone navigating modern existence.
European Tour Dates:
02.07 – Days Off Festival, Paris, FR
03-05.07 – Vida Festival, Vilanova I La Geltrú, ES
12.07 – Cactus Festival, Brugge, BE
24.07 – Luzern Live, Luzern, CH
25-28.07 – Deer Shed Festival, Topcliffe, UK
30.07 – Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, UK (w/ Fontaines D.C.)
12.10 – Bozar, Brussels, BE
13.10 – Élysée Montmartre, Paris, FR
16.10 – Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao, ES
18.10 – LAV Lisboa Ao Vivo, Lisbon, PT
19.10 – Sala Riviera, Madrid, ES
21.10 – Le Rocher de Palmer, Cenon, FR
22.10 – La Cooperative de Mai, Clermont-Ferrand, FR
23.10 – Transbordeur, Villeurbanne, FR
25.10 – Hacienda Roma, Rome, IT
26.10 – Estragon, Bologna, IT
27.10 – Fabrique, Milan, IT
29.10 – Kaufleuten, Zurich, CH
30.10 – Les Docks, Lausanne, CH
01.11 – Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin, DE
02.11 – Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg, DE
03.11 – Live Music Hall, Cologne, DE
05.11 – TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, NL
06.11 – Effenaar, Eindhoven, NL
