Tems Releases Stunning Music Video for ‘What You Need’
Tems never rushes anything, and when she delivers, she delivers. The Grammy-winning Nigerian singer has finally dropped the official music video for What You Need, taken from her 2025 project Love Is A Kingdom. AfrobeatsGlobal has watched it twice already.
Tems ‘What You Need’ Music Video: First Impressions
The video is exactly what you’d expect from Tems. Cinematic, stripped back, and emotionally precise. Furthermore, the visual uses wide architectural spaces and intimate portrait-style frames to mirror the song’s core tension between closeness and distance.
However, what stands out most is the restraint. Styled in structured silhouettes and muted tones, Tems lets the emotion carry the story rather than relying on spectacle. Interestingly, this is consistent with how she approaches her entire visual identity, substance over showmanship.
Visual Direction: The What You Need video contrasts expansive architectural settings with tight close-up framing, echoing the song’s themes of emotional clarity and boundary-setting.
What the Song Is Really About
At its heart, What You Need is a reassurance anthem. Tems sings to a partner who is constantly pulled in different directions by outside noise. Meanwhile, she offers something more grounded, honesty, presence, and emotional steadiness.
The production stays minimal and unhurried throughout. As a result, the message lands cleanly without distraction. Additionally, the video’s visual language reinforces this simplicity, keeping everything focused on the connection between two people and the noise that tries to disrupt it.
“What You Need” appeared on Tems’s Love Is A Kingdom EP, released in November 2025. It followed her earlier Jimmy Fallon performance of the track in early 2026.
Tems Continues Her Winning Streak in 2026
Notably, Tems leads the Nigerian artists in the 2026 BET Awards nominations alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Asake. Furthermore, she continues to receive global recognition at every level. Even so, moments like this video prove that commercial success has not dulled her artistic instincts.
AfrobeatsGlobal has been covering Tems‘s career closely, and it is clear she is playing a long game. On the other hand, that very patience is what makes each new release feel like an event.
Tems does not need a big production budget to make you feel something. ‘What You Need’ is proof that the right artist with the right song needs nothing else.
Have you watched the What You Need video yet? Tell us your favorite moment in the comments. Share this post and follow AfrobeatsGlobal on Instagram, TikTok, and our Linktree for daily updates on African music that matters. Check out our previous blog post on Qing Madi Label War: Court Ruling, Spotify Takedowns Explained.
Follow us: Instagram | TikTok | Linktree
