Tems Releases Music Video for ‘What You Need’ Off ‘Love Is A Kingdom’

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Grammy-winning artist Tems comes to terms with the fact that she isn’t what her partner needs in the new music video for “What You Need,” directed by Ayinde Anderson. The song appears a standout track from her late 2025 EP, Love Is A Kingdom. While fans have had the song for a while, the new video, which drops early this week “adds a fresh emotional layer, bringing its themes of honesty, boundaries, and emotional clarity into sharper focus.”

The video starts in black and white, with Tems pulling a rope attached to a brick wall, smashing plates and sitting against the wall as she sings about the relationship.

As the video goes on, the visual eventually transforms to color. “I’m not what you need/ Get away from me,” she sings. The video is now available to watch on YouTube.

Tems previously expressed gratitude for the response to “What You Need,” which was released back in November.  “To know that there are people out there that relate to this song and what I’ve experienced, honestly warms my heart!!” she wrote. “Thank you so much!!!!! Truly. Love you guys.” Her multiple BET nominations this year tell a different story: she is not being boxed in by geography.  

Rather she is being measured by impact, tone, and the kind of R&B presence that makes folks pay attention. The Nigerian star is nominated for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and BET Her for “First,” putting her squarely in the R&B conversation rather than Best International Act win she brought home early in her BET run.