Tems is back, and she’s delivered a masterclass in understated artistry with her surprise seven-track EP, Love Is a Kingdom.
Following last year’s Born in the Wild, this new project sees the Nigerian singer-songwriter fully in command of her craft, producing, composing, and writing nearly every element herself.
Released via RCA Records, Since ’93, the EP underscores Tems’ reputation for moving at her own pace, a trait that has long both frustrated and fascinated fans.
Where Born in the Wild embraced expansive, stadium-ready production, Love Is a Kingdom retreats into an intensely private space. Here, Tems is unguarded, trading armor for silk.
The sound is warm, minimal, and intimate, built almost entirely around her textured, commanding voice. If her previous work explored the pursuit of freedom, this project examines what it means to find a place to rest, a sanctuary carved out in love.
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The production is deceptively simple, relying on gentle basslines, scattered percussion, and hazy synths to craft a cocoon-like atmosphere. The lead track, Lagos Love, stands out as both a love letter to a person and a city.
Tems captures the chaotic energy of Lagos while channeling the quiet intimacy of a private romance, her vocals weaving, dipping, and running through the beat with conversational ease, as if singing to an audience of one.
Thematically, Love Is a Kingdom explores love as sanctuary. On tracks like First, Tems examines the terrifying vulnerability of placing another before yourself, tackling intimacy and connection with an honesty she rarely displays.
The lyrics move away from the abstract, poetic tendencies of her earlier work to a direct, confessional tone, exploring love as a sovereign realm, a “kingdom” where the outside world’s noise cannot intrude.
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Despite the softer palette, Tems’ signature aura of royalty remains intact. She doesn’t plead for love; she commands it. Vulnerable yet unyielding, the EP is never maudlin; instead, it feels meditative, designed for late nights, early mornings, and headphones rather than club speakers. The subtlety of the project demands that listeners lean in, appreciating the quiet spaces between the notes.
With Love Is a Kingdom, Tems solidifies her position as a genre-defying force. While others chase high-BPM, viral sensations, she has crafted a project that celebrates patience and stillness. In a world drowning in noise, Tems has built a quiet, regal sanctuary and generously handed us the keys to enter.
Listen to Love Is A Kingdom HERE.