Tems, Runtown and the ‘Surround Sound’ of Intimacy

Iyke Bede

Over the course of two days, Nigerian music stars Temilade Openiyi, famed as Tems, and Douglas Agu, popularly known as Runtown, performed songs from their discographies on Spotify’s Surround Sound to a select group of Premium users.

Surround Sound is Spotify’s live performance format, launched in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the aim of bringing artistes and fans closer through an intimate setting that allows them to appreciate live performances and experience a deeper dimension of their artistry.

Staged at Livespot, Lagos, on September 25 and 26, Tems indulged her audience in the sultry rhythm and blues that characterises her music on day one, while Runtown captivated with his distinct Afrobeats sound on day two of the series. 

Tems, that evening, performed songs from her 2020 EP ‘For Broken Ears’: ‘Ice T’ and ‘Damages’, alongside earlier singles ‘Mr Rebel’ and ‘Try Me’. She also thrilled with recent songs in her catalogue: the groovy ‘Love Me JeJe’ and the soul-stirring ‘What You Need’. In a heartfelt moment, she turned to the crowd for an assist to sing along to the lyrics of ‘Burning’.

Surrounded by fans around the circular stage, which gave both her and the audience a panoramic view, Tems, perched on a stool, reflected on her musical journey and the distance she has travelled to reach the global stage.

“I remember making ‘Free Mind’ on my bed, on my laptop, experimenting with chords and seeing what stuck. The first two chords sounded so good, and it ignited melodies in me. Those melodies I made on my bed are what is in the song right now.”

Donning an all-black ensemble and dark shades, and flanked by dancers, Runtown opened the second night with the high-octane track ‘Lagos to Kampala’, progressing through a medley of songs before arriving at ‘Gallardo’. Other notable moments included his performances of ‘For Life’, ‘International Badman Killa’ and ‘Unleash’. His hit song ‘Mad Over You’ proved a crowd favourite, earning an encore from an enthusiastic audience.

“Th live room is intentionally intimate and has a fixed capacity,” said Rifumo Mdaka of Spotify. “We use listening signals to reach selected Spotify Premium listeners in Lagos directly rather than running a public ticket sale. The aim is to create a close artist-fan experience while keeping the room suitable for the performance and film capture.”