Tems has dropped the official video for “What You Need,” a track from her November 2025 album Love Is a Kingdom. The video arrived June 3rd, and it is the kind of visual that does not try to compete with the song so much as sit inside it.
The treatment is restrained throughout, depicting structured silhouettes, muted tones, and portrait-style framing. Wide architectural shots pull back to give the sense of space and distance, then close-ups bring everything in tight again. It mirrors what the song is actually about: someone cutting through outside noise to say something simple and direct to the person in front of them. The production on “What You Need” is minimal for a reason, and the video gets that.
The song itself is about reassurance. A partner distracted by other people’s opinions, and Tems offering something steadier in return — presence, clarity, no drama. It is not a complicated message, which is part of what makes it work, and the visuals does not overcomplicate it either.
It has been a busy stretch for Tems beyond the album. She performed “What You Need” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, leads Nigerian artists in BET Awards 2026 nominations alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Asake, and has been credited with driving the polka dot trend after her appearance at the O2 Arena.
Watch the cinematic visuals for “What You Need” up top.
Education: Computer Network Engineering, Computer Desktop Administration
Fave Song: Destiny's Child 'Dangerously in love'
Fave Colour: Grey.
With £1m what would you do: I would do my part to provide opportunities to the less fortunate. Then do my best to change the world in my own way through sports and talent building.
