Tems continues to make her way to music’s proverbial forefront with some of the best music heard during the pandemic (and prior, for earlier fans of the artist). Today (Nov. 4), the Nigerian talent became the latest to bring the vibes for NPR’s “Tiny Desk (Home)” concert series, where she blessed viewers with choice cuts from the critically acclaimed EPs For Broken Ears and If Orange Was A Place. She also gave us a rendition of her 2019 single “Looku Looku,” an Oddio-produced offering that saw her lamenting over an chronically unfaithful lover:
“Mr Man, you dey run, you dey, vex, all the time now, Mr Man, you dey run, you dey look, you dey cry, your eye go burst one day, for all the girls you chase, your neck go break one day, put all the money for there, put all the money there, put all the money together, put all your money there, one girl go pass, you dey look am, what do you wanna know? One girl go come, you dey break back, what do you wanna show?”
Back in September, Tems liberated her sophomore EP If Orange Was A Place, which contained five songs and a single feature from Brent Faiyaz for “Found” — one of the songs that Tems performed solo during her aforementioned set. For Broken Ears arrived a year prior, and eventually led to Tems’ appearance on Wizkid’s Made In Lagos smash “Essence.” Since its release (and subsequent Justin Bieber remix), “Essence” has earned the artists both a top ten placement on the Billboard 200 and a Platinum certification in the United States. More recently, she could also be heard on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy standout — and top 40 Billboard success — “Fountains.” One can only imagine the levels that she’ll reach when it comes time to release an official debut LP of her own.
In the meantime, you can enjoy Tems’ “Tiny Desk (Home)” concert below.