Nigerian star Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems has quietly returned to the spotlight with a deeply personal, seven-track EP, Love Is a Kingdom, released on November 21, 2025 via RCA Records and Since ’93. This surprise drop follows her debut studio album, Born in the Wild, which came out in mid-2024.

One of the most striking things about Love Is a Kingdom is just how much of it Tems made on her own: she writes, composes, and nearly entirely produces the project herself, putting her vision front and center.  Across the roughly 20-minute runtime, she balances vulnerability with strength, diving into themes of self-worth, love, healing, and emotional sovereignty.

The EP opens with “First”, a track that sets the tone for the entire project. Over warm, layered instrumentation with Afrobeats undertones, Tems asserts her independence, claiming her own space and prioritizing her emotional well-being above all else. RGM From that foundation, she moves into “I’m Not Sure,” a song steeped in doubt, where she questions whether love is real or just an illusion. The emotional honesty here is raw and unguarded.

Perhaps the most provocative track is “Big Daddy,” where Tems flips the power dynamic in a relationship. According to reviews, she confronts someone who failed her, using sharp lyrical imagery to reclaim control and expose their lack of depth. It’s bold, defiant, and deeply human.

On “Lagos Love” and “Mine,” the tone softens. Tems leans into tenderness, exploring belonging, connection, and affection. Her vocal delivery feels effortless, elevating the emotional resonance of lines that speak both to her Nigerian roots and to a more universal sense of longing. Meanwhile, “What You Need” is arguably one of the EP’s most emotionally mature moments. The production is stripped back—soft percussion, warm guitar, airy synths, making space for her voice to shine. In this track, she offers emotional presence: not grand gestures, but steady, intimate support.

The EP closes with “Is There a Reason,” which feels almost like a prayer. With a spiritual, introspective quality, the song reads like a confession or a conversation with herself—asking, wondering, seeking clarity. It’s a fitting end: contemplative, calm, and grounded in self-reflection.

Critics have responded warmly. Ratings Game Music gives the EP an 86% rating, praising Tems’s emotional range, her command of her voice, and the way she blends production styles from vintage R&B textures to subtle Nigerian rhythmic influences. RGM Apple Music’s album page also highlights how Tems uses Love Is a Kingdom to remind listeners that the strongest kind of love often starts from within.

What makes this release particularly significant is the way Tems centers her own emotional sovereignty. After the broader, expansive vision of Born in the Wild—an album that tackled identity, struggle, ambition, and spirituality, this EP feels like a deliberate, quieter recalibration. She’s not chasing external validation or commercial spectacle; she’s building a space for her inner world to be seen, heard, and felt.

In that sense, Love Is a Kingdom isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s a statement. A declaration that Tems can command her narrative, define her own rules, and shape her kingdom on her own terms.

For fans, it’s a gift: a deeply intimate listening experience that rewards reflection. For the industry, it’s a reminder of her growing power as an auteur—not only a voice, but a craftsman of her own art.

As she continues to navigate global success and critical acclaim, this EP underscores something important: Tems doesn’t just create music. She carves out sanctuaries that are emotional, spiritual, and sonic and invites us in. And in doing so, she proves that her artistry is, more than ever, sovereign.

‍