Ten$ion
by Die Antwoord
  • Record Label: Zedtone
  • Release Date: Feb 7, 2012
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 73 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 73
  3. Negative: 23 out of 73
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  1. FyreStrom
    Mar 4, 2012
    8
    Well what can I say? I discovered them like some of you by watching Letterman one night, and much like the audience didn't know if I should cheer or laugh come the end...yet, if you get away from the contrived notion of Y&N trying to shock the hell out of you (which they do try), there's an infectious beat and playful attitude tot their work.

    If you take it all to seriously your doomed to    Well what can I say? I discovered them like some of you by watching Letterman one night, and much like the audience didn't know if I should cheer or laugh come the end...yet, if you get away from the contrived notion of Y&N trying to shock the hell out of you (which they do try), there's an infectious beat and playful attitude tot their work.

    If you take it all to seriously your doomed to think them ridiculous, but better to enjoy the music and not worry about the message...

    You owe to yourself to watch I FINK YOU FREAKY on You Tube!    … Expand
  2. cedrickjames
    Feb 9, 2012
    8
    For the fans of Die Antwoord this album is a continuity of their previous work. Yo Landi and Ninja are getting more serious lyrically speaking in songs like So What?, Fok Jullie Naaiers and U Make a Ninja Wanna F**k but at contrary DJ Hi-Tek is balancing the whole thing with funny recycled old school beats and hundreds of samples references. Sometimes you hear No Limit, KLF and Madonna,For the fans of Die Antwoord this album is a continuity of their previous work. Yo Landi and Ninja are getting more serious lyrically speaking in songs like So What?, Fok Jullie Naaiers and U Make a Ninja Wanna F**k but at contrary DJ Hi-Tek is balancing the whole thing with funny recycled old school beats and hundreds of samples references. Sometimes you hear No Limit, KLF and Madonna, sometimes you hear The Neptunes, Ying Yang Twins and Eminem but mostly you hear the twisted minds of Ninja Yo Landi and Dj Hi-Tek bringing their twisted world to the masses. After $O$, Max Normal TV, The Constructus Corporation, Watkin Tudor and other pre-Antwoord project, this album is no surprise for the fans of The Answer. The surprise would be if they would fall in the expected mainstream corporate market ... They remain zef side ... you will not hear much of this album on the dancefloors even if songs like I Fink U Freeky and Hey Sexy could bring a bit of dance fun around ... you will not hear much of this album on radio because their lyrical style has already been censored by their previous record compagny and they are too brutal for mainstream audiance... you will not see their videos on TV because their visuals stick to their previous formula, schoking, grimm, hardcore and bizarre ... anyway ... Ten$ion is a great album ... too full to get it at ones ... Ten$ion might become a 2012 underground party reference for people who navigate between rap and rave.… Expand
  3. lukechristiansc
    Apr 27, 2015
    0
    "Ten$ion" is the same album that Die Antwoord has done before, they do nothing original, their music isn't art it's raunchy and the same thing over over and over.
  4. DankMetaphor
    Mar 27, 2012
    9
    A step up musically from their last album, Ten$ion brings out the white trash (zef) to glorious ends. "I fink u freeky" is a headbanger, with a killer music video, and "fatty boom boom" follows for a strong start to the album. Die Antwoord's quirky style is nearly perfected on this more polished cut.
  5. AlexxTrusc
    Apr 26, 2012
    2
    South African band from Kaapstad, known for single "Enter The Ninja" - Die Antwoord with their latest "Then$ion" won't impress anyone. The CD is first too long - which only intensified the feeling that is full of useless junk - such as short hip-hop interludes like: "Bath" and "Uncle Jimmy", too childish and "sweet" for the rave - "Baby's On Fire" and some complete parody of good music -South African band from Kaapstad, known for single "Enter The Ninja" - Die Antwoord with their latest "Then$ion" won't impress anyone. The CD is first too long - which only intensified the feeling that is full of useless junk - such as short hip-hop interludes like: "Bath" and "Uncle Jimmy", too childish and "sweet" for the rave - "Baby's On Fire" and some complete parody of good music - "So What". Only on what you can pay attention are both parts of "Never Le Nkemise" - first a combination of rave and classical music, the other purely techno.… Expand
  6. maximusthegod
    Apr 20, 2013
    10
    I really think that they are doing a very well job. After all, the critics are good! And they got a contract with Interscope, or they had one, I don't know anymore... But they wont have a contract because they actually have the balls to say NO to all the sh** the industry ask to them. Like everyone do, for money.
    All I'm saying is, if you really understand a little bit of music, then you    I really think that they are doing a very well job. After all, the critics are good! And they got a contract with Interscope, or they had one, I don't know anymore... But they wont have a contract because they actually have the balls to say NO to all the sh** the industry ask to them. Like everyone do, for money.
    All I'm saying is, if you really understand a little bit of music, then you gonna see how this works, this is not another pop group, and with the second album, they getting even better.
    But if you don't understand music, I'm felling sorry for you, because you will listen gaga's and Bieber and that same kind of bad, really really trash songs for the rest of your life.    … Expand
  7. mmello
    Dec 7, 2013
    10
    This is amazing album and the best of decade, Yo Landi and Ninja make a real art build, and your voice is amazin, yo yo love u. Ten$ion have win a Grammy.
  8. rydermusic
    Sep 7, 2012
    2
    Die Antwood lacks of inspiration and talent. Bad lyrics and production among the worst I've ever heard make this album one of the worst in the history of music.
  9. GagaForGhibli
    Nov 5, 2012
    1
    I Am Normally A Pretty Nice Music Critic... But This Album Is The Worst Album Of 2012! Thats Really All I Can Say..
    Die Antwoord Fails, If I Bought This CD I Would Throw It In The Trash!
  10. ghoobar
    Jun 8, 2012
    4
    Definitely not as good as $O$ in terms of songwriting; if you didn't like that album (even for the lulz) then don't bother listening to this one. Most of the tracks range from completely average in every way ("Hey Sexy") to downright awful (the brosteppy opener, "Never le Nkemise 1"). Two of the tracks are also "skits" that don't really have any business being there. It's not all badDefinitely not as good as $O$ in terms of songwriting; if you didn't like that album (even for the lulz) then don't bother listening to this one. Most of the tracks range from completely average in every way ("Hey Sexy") to downright awful (the brosteppy opener, "Never le Nkemise 1"). Two of the tracks are also "skits" that don't really have any business being there. It's not all bad though. "I Fink U Freeky", "Baby's on Fire", "Fok Julle Naaiers", and "Fatty Boom Boom" are all enjoyable, catchy tracks that raise the album from being a complete waste of time to a guilty pleasure. 3.5/10, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt and round that to 4, because when the tracks are good they're great. But on most of the album that's not the case.… Expand
  11. LanaDelRey
    Mar 24, 2013
    1
    One Of The Most Scary And God Awfull Album Of All Time!
  12. VonVerner
    Jan 7, 2015
    10
    Their music is really freaky and that is cool! It is a mixture of African indigenous culture, colonial European and American hip-hop. This album certainly is no worse then $O$. I think that it shows the development of style of the group.
  13. diegonelli
    Sep 14, 2015
    6
    $O$ is better but I still like the album, there are too many interludes/splits but I still like it. Fav: hey sexy,fatty fatty boom boom. i fink u freeky.
  14. Bar786788
    Aug 20, 2023
    8
    Die Antwoord’s second studio album is often looked at unfavorably in comparison to the first, but to be fair this album was a middle finger to the music industry and with dynamically addictive and complex tracks like I Fink U Freeky, Fok Julie NaaiersBabys on Fire and Fatty Boom Boom they delivered in style. My only criticism would be the song U Make A Ninja Wanna ****

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed Album of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 9, 2012
    67
    The devilish duo flips dubstep, EDM, and Dr. Dre's 2001-era G-funk with nary a hitch.
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  2. musicOMH.com
    Feb 23, 2012
    20
    Hi-Tek's construction of techno beats and rave stabs on the quirky I Fink U Freeky and heavy brostep on opener Never Le Nkemise just add to the nauseating concoction of trash that comprises Ten$ion.
    Read full review
  3. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Feb 23, 2012
    50
    Neither the downfall nor demystification of the group, the truly awful Ten$ion only further tangles the mess of questions surrounding Die Antwoord.
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