On November 21, 2025, Nigerian superstar Tems released her third extended play, Love is a Kingdom. Since breaking into mainstream consciousness by way of her hit single Try Me, Tems has become one of the most recognisable voices in global music.
Blessed with one-of-a-kind vocals, range and captivating physical presence, she has risen to worldwide prominence in a relatively short period of time. With five singles charting on the Billboard Hot 100 (including a number-one hit from her feature on Future’s Wait for U), multiple RIAA-certified singles, and two Grammy Awards to her name, her accomplishments speak for themselves.
With an expansive fanbase that stretches across the Atlantic and beyond, Tems is one of the few Nigerian artists afforded the luxury of releasing surprise projects without any prior announcement.
Her latest EP, Love Is A Kingdom, is a seven-track exploration of love and the realities that exist within its complex domain. As we have come to expect from Tems, the project is laced with themes of self-worth, emotional depth, and navigating relationships on her own terms.
The project comes alive thanks to the energetic opening single, First, where she establishes that her own well-being, goals, and path take priority over anything else. With confidence rooted in her faith in God, she sings, “They know I’m different, different / All because I’m moving different, different / They can’t stop me now, I’m different, different.” She hints at the external pressure that comes with superstardom and having to deal with people who attempt to control her with little consideration for how she feels. “And so I have to change the story, story, story,” she sings in an attempt to fight back. By reclaiming the narrative and making herself the priority, she secures her kingdom.
To ensure her kingdom stays protected, she is extremely careful about who she lets in. In I’m Not Sure, she urges her love interest to be intentional, proactive and honest. “Love is something I’m not used to, so I’m leaving this to you,” she sings, literally putting the ball in his court and leaving all the hard work to him. If he really wants her, he has to show her he’s capable of doing what needs to be done to have her. “If you want it, come and take it,” she sings on the hook. If she’s going to let him in, he has to prove his worthiness and commitment. As she established on First, she is well aware of who she is and recognises the value she offers, and that value requires pursuit.
In I’m Not Sure, she establishes what a prospective lover needs to do to prove he is worth it. In Big Daddy, she outlines what happens when someone definitively proves they’re not. “Ooh, you may look like you’re breathing, but you’re dead to me,” she sings on the second verse after dismissing his worth for not being there when she needed him. “No ambition, he’s a loser,” she sings, delivering a scathing review of him and soundly rejecting him for failing the test.
On Lagos Love, she finds someone who has proven his worth, but rather than fall head over heels, she remains cautious. “Giving me attention, what is your intention? / Do you just want attention? / Is it a connection? Or is it a lesson? Tell me,” she sings on the hook, indicating her hypervigilance even while trying to be vulnerable. Trauma response? Maybe. “We’re doing my way, anything that I say,” she sings, maintaining control of the relationship and refusing to lose herself in the process. But love has a way of making you let your guard down, doesn’t it? “Every moment I’m calling, you should know that I’m all in,” she sings on Mine, indicating she’s finally reached full commitment. Yay!!!!
Unfortunately, the butterflies in her belly die very quickly as she identifies a mismatch between herself and her lover. And while her lover wants to stay on and fight, she’s not having any of it. “Your love, it feels divided. My answer is to pull out,” she sings over brooding chords. “Returning you, you’re not mine, to me, you don’t belong,” withdrawing her commitment to him and urging him to get away from her. In the first verse, she sings, “Your love is like an endless sea / it won’t lead me anywhere,” which makes this writer wonder, what do women want?
She steep herself in smooth R&B guitars as she reflects and grapples with why things happened the way they did. “Is there a reason?” she questions as the project draws to a close.
This project is flawless; everything works so well. The track listing, arrangement and progression are immaculate. The EP achieves cohesion both sonically and topically. But it’s on the strength of her storytelling and songwriting that this project shines the most.
Across seven songs, Tems tells a cohesive story. From track one (First), where she establishes herself as the priority, she establishes that she is the kingdom she rules over, and only she has the authority to let anyone in and kick anyone out. She rules her kingdom how she sees fit. She lays out the standards for anyone who wants entry (I’m Not Sure), opens the gates when she sees fit (Mine), and slams them shut at her own discretion (What You Need), where she makes it clear that your feelings don’t factor into the decisions she makes. She’s built her fortress, tested its gates, and emerged with clarity about who deserves entry and who doesn’t; after all, it’s her kingdom.
