Spotify has released a full-length concert film featuring Nigerian singer Tems, offering fans an intimate experience of her musical journey through a live performance recorded in Lagos.
Titled Tems: Surround Sound, the film, released on November 11, 2026, captures the Grammy-winning singer performing before an audience positioned around her in an intimate setting, bringing listeners closer to her music and stage presence.
Directed by Tim Horwood, the production explores different stages of Tems’ career, combining early releases with some of her more recent hits, including Try Me, Looku Looku, Damages, Crazy Tings, Love Me JeJe and Me & U.
The release also highlights the enduring popularity of her debut extended play (EP), For Broken Ears, which continues to attract new listeners six years after its release.
According to Spotify’s September 2026 analysis, the project has accumulated more than 888 million streams across 185 countries.
The streaming platform also disclosed that songs from the EP had introduced nearly 19 million new listeners to Tems on Spotify since 2023.
The figures underscore the project’s continued influence in expanding the singer’s international audience, while maintaining a strong connection with listeners who discovered her music years ago.
Spotify further revealed that 21.6 per cent of listeners who streamed For Broken Ears in January 2022 returned to the project in August 2026, highlighting the longevity of its appeal.
A celebration of Tems’ musical journey
The concert film places particular emphasis on songs from For Broken Ears, including The Key, Higher, Damages and Free Mind.
These tracks are performed alongside later releases such as Replay, What You Need, Crazy Tings, Love Me JeJe and Me & U, offering a musical narrative of Tems’ development as an artist.
Spotify’s Content Marketing Manager for Africa, Rifumo Mdaka, said the project was designed to highlight the lasting relationship between Tems and her audience.
According to Mdaka, the singer’s early catalogue continues to serve as an entry point for new listeners while giving longtime fans reasons to reconnect with her music.
He explained that recording the performance in Lagos, with fans surrounding the singer, provided a physical setting for that connection while allowing audiences elsewhere to experience the performance.
Director Tim Horwood said the production focused on capturing the details of Tems’ performance while allowing each song to retain its emotional character.
He noted that the progression through the setlist, particularly its closing performance of Free Mind, helped connect different moments in the singer’s musical journey.
Spotify expands African live music experience
Tems: Surround Sound forms part of Spotify’s live performance format, which originated in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The initiative brings selected artists together with Spotify Premium subscribers for intimate live performances that are subsequently captured as full-length concert films.
By recording the performances and making them available to wider audiences, the format seeks to extend the experience beyond the physical venue.
The Lagos production places Tems at the centre of that approach, using her catalogue and relationship with fans to showcase the continued international reach of African music.
With more than 888 million streams for For Broken Ears, the release also offers a reminder of the lasting influence of the project that helped introduce Tems to audiences across the world.
