Tems Strips It Right Back For Late-Night Performance of ‘What You Need’: Watch

Songs, when they’re released into the world, tend to have a life all of their own. Tems ’ “What You Need” is a solid example. The Afrobeats star previewed it during an Instagram Live years ago, even declaring “this song is not coming out.” It did come out in November 2025, the standout track from the Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer’s third EP Love Is a Kingdom .

Tems owned the stage, sparkling with Hollywood glamor in a long silver-white dress, her a-class band performing behind a thin curtain. Produced with her frequent collaborator GuiltyBeatz, “What You Need” is a stripped-down epilogue about a relationship not worth salvaging. On it, she sings: “Your love is not my lifeline, your love is not my home.” Tems has played a pivotal role in ushering in the rise of Afrobeats in the United States.

She contributed to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and has landed eight titles on the Billboard Hot 100, including a No. 1 for her contribution to Future’s 2022 hit “Wait For U,” also featuring Drake. Earlier, in 2020,...