Spotify has released Tems Surround Sound, a full-length concert film shot in Lagos, Nigeria, that links the singer’s early songs with the work that followed. The film premiered on 11 November 2026.
Directed by Tim Horwood, the film was shot in the round, placing the audience around the performer. It moves through Tems’s catalogue, from early releases including “Try Me” and “Looku Looku” to “Love Me JeJe” and “Me & U.”
Streaming figures for For Broken Ears#
The film centres on For Broken Ears, the extended play (EP) released six years earlier. Spotify’s September 2026 analysis shows the following:
- 888 million streams for the EP across 185 countries
- Nearly 19 million listeners who discovered Tems through its songs on Spotify since 2023
- 21.6% of listeners who streamed the EP in January 2022 who also listened to it in August 2026
The returning-listener figure is one the film highlights through songs including “Damages,” “The Key,” “Higher” and “Free Mind.”
The set list#
The set pairs the early songs with “Crazy Tings,” “Replay” and “What You Need,” then moves through “Love Me JeJe” and “Me & U” before closing with “Free Mind.” Taken together, the selections present an artist whose catalogue keeps expanding while its early foundations remain part of listeners’ lives.
Comments from Spotify and the director#
Rifumo Mdaka, Content Marketing Manager for Spotify in Africa, said:
“Tems’s early music continues to be a starting point for new listeners and a place that existing fans return to. Surround Sound gives that relationship a physical setting, with Tems surrounded by fans in Lagos. The film takes that encounter beyond the room, allowing audiences to experience these songs together as part of her wider story.”
Tim Horwood, Spotify’s chosen director for this project, said:
“With Tems, the voice and the space around it are central to the experience. We wanted the film to stay close to the detail of the performance while allowing each song to breathe. Moving through this set, and arriving at ‘Free Mind,’ gives us a way to follow the emotional thread connecting different moments in her music.”
About the Surround Sound format#
Surround Sound is Spotify’s live performance format, originating in Sub-Saharan Africa. It brings artists and selected Spotify Premium fans together for intimate performances captured as full-length music films. With Lagos as its starting point, the format extends the experience to audiences beyond the live room.
The Tems Surround Sound film is available to watch on Spotify.
