SOTW: “What You Need” by Tems 032426

March 25th, 2026 by Ellie Walsh

SOTW: “What You Need” by Tems

Reviewed by: Marley Lehmann ’28

Released Date: November 21st, 2025

Rating: 9.5/10

RIYL: Brent Faiyaz, Sonder, SZA

Review:

Tems is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer, and Grammy winner who blends genres like alternative R&B, hip-hop, and afrobeats to create soulful and meaningful songs. Her most recent album, Love Is A Kingdom, includes the single “What You Need”. This track highlights a soft percussion backing her calming vocals that adds more emotion to the already passionate lyrics. “What You Need” talks about topics such as longing and wanting to be chosen. The more you listen to it, the deeper the lyrics can hit. 

Despite its emotional lyrics, the beat and tempo of the song itself is very swaying and tranquil due to its low-tempo. To me, it creates a warm and vulnerable mood that is a little different than the other tracks on the album. Overall, I would highly recommend “What You Need” by artist Tems to people who love deep lyricism, low R&B songs, and artists like SZA, Brent Faiyaz, and Sonder.