Ten$ion
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Ten$ion Image
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57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 72 Ratings

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  • Summary: The South African trio releases its second studio album on its own label, Zef Recordz, after leaving Interscope over the direction of its music.
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Top Track

Fatty Boom Boom
Yo hi-tek, u fink u can fuck wif summing like dis? Yo what u mean summing like dis? Ja dat's spif Yo-landi do dat fing! Hey fatty boom boom! Hit... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. The Quietus
    Feb 16, 2012
    80
    Ten$ion's depiction of modern South Africa is nothing less than thrilling.
  2. Beats Per Minute
    Feb 17, 2012
    75
    Guaranteed both to amuse and to confuse, Ten$ion is a masterpiece of kitsch: an intently provocative, tongue-in-cheek rave-rap record, by a cryptic performance art group.
  3. No Ripcord
    Feb 8, 2012
    70
    The biggest, brashest cartoon this side of Eminem's early albums.
  4. PopMatters
    Feb 8, 2012
    60
    The problem with much of Ten$ion isn't that it doesn't feel smart-good music has never, and will never have to be "smart"-but that it feels deliberately stupid.
  5. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Feb 23, 2012
    50
    Neither the downfall nor demystification of the group, the truly awful Ten$ion only further tangles the mess of questions surrounding Die Antwoord.
  6. Consequence
    Feb 8, 2012
    50
    Despite more of the foul-mouthed impish fun, Ten$ion doesn't offer much punch or cohesive power.
  7. musicOMH.com
    Feb 23, 2012
    20
    Hi-Tek's construction of techno beats and rave stabs on the quirky I Fink U Freeky and heavy brostep on opener Never Le Nkemise just add to the nauseating concoction of trash that comprises Ten$ion.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 5 out of 13
  1. 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. ThisTheir 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.… Expand
  2. 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 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
  4. 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$ion haveThis is amazing album and the best of decade, Yo Landi and Ninja make a real art build, and your voice is amazin, yo yo love u. Ten$ion have win a Grammy.… Expand
  5. 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$O$ 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.… Expand
  6. 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 thisDefinitely 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
  7. AlexxTrusc
    Apr 26, 2012
    2
    South African band from Kaapstad, known for single "Enter The Ninja" - Die Antwoord with their latest "Then$ion" won't impress anyone. The CDSouth African band from Kaapstad, known for single "Enter The Ninja" - Die Antwoord with their latest "Then$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
  8. lukechristiansc
    Apr 27, 2015
    0
    "Ten$ion" is the same album that Die Antwoord has done before, they do nothing original, their music isn't art it's raunchy and the same"Ten$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.… Expand

See all 13 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Most Discussed Album of 2012

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