Premiered on 11 November, the Lagos concert film connects the intimacy of her early work with the music that followed.

Spotify has brought Nigerian singer Tems closer to her fans with the release of Surround Sound, an intimate full-length concert film capturing the singer’s performance in Lagos.

Released on November 11, 2026, the film was directed by Tim Horwood and features Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems, performing before an audience in an in-the-round setting. The production takes viewers through different stages of her musical journey, featuring songs from her early releases, including “Try Me” and “Looku Looku,” to more recent hits such as “Love Me JeJe” and “Me & U.”

At the centre of the project is the enduring appeal of For Broken Ears, Tems’ debut extended play (EP), which continues to attract new listeners while maintaining a strong connection with existing fans.

According to Spotify’s September 2026 analysis, the six-year-old project has generated more than 888 million streams across 185 countries. Since 2023, songs from the EP have also introduced nearly 19 million listeners to Tems for the first time on the streaming platform.

The figures further highlight the lasting relationship between the singer and her audience. Spotify's analysis found that 21.6 per cent of listeners who streamed For Broken Ears in January 2022 returned to the project in August 2026.

The concert film captures this connection through performances of songs such as “Damages,” “The Key,” “Higher” and “Free Mind,” bringing some of Tems’ most recognisable early works into a live setting.

“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,” said Rifumo Mdaka, Content Marketing Manager for Spotify in Africa.

Beyond the songs from her debut project, the performance also features “Crazy Tings,” “Replay” and “What You Need,” before moving into “Love Me JeJe” and “Me & U.” The set concludes with “Free Mind,” offering a musical reflection on the different phases of her career and the songs that have shaped her relationship with listeners.

The decision to film the concert in the round places the audience around Tems, making the closeness between the singer and her fans a defining feature of the production. Rather than relying solely on a conventional concert perspective, the format captures the atmosphere and details of the performance from different angles.

Explaining the creative direction behind the film, Horwood said the production was designed to preserve the intimacy of Tems’ performance while allowing the music to take centre stage.

“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,” said Horwood, the director selected by Spotify for the project.

Surround Sound is part of Spotify’s live performance format, which originated in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative brings artists and selected Spotify Premium subscribers together for intimate live performances, which are subsequently captured as full-length music films.

With Lagos serving as the setting for the latest production, Spotify is extending the experience beyond the live audience, giving fans in other locations an opportunity to connect with Tems’ music through an intimate performance that celebrates her catalogue and artistic journey.

[Tems] Surround Sound premieres now on Spotify. You can watch it here.

Facebook: @SpotifyAfrica  | Twitter: @SpotifyAfrica | Instagram: @spotifyafrica | WhatsApp Channel: Spotify Africa News #SpotifyAfricaDownload the Spotify app via the Android or iOS app store or by heading to www.spotify.com - to embed Spotify into a website - right click on any playlist, go to 'share' and copy embed code.

Since its launch in 2008, Spotify has transformed the way people discover, experience and share music. Built on a mission to unlock the potential of human creativity, the platform connects millions of artists with billions of fans, creating opportunities for creators to earn a living from their work while giving listeners access to music and podcasts that entertain, inspire and connect people around the world.

Driven by its passion for music and podcasts, Spotify offers users access to a catalogue of more than 100 million songs and over six million podcast titles. Listeners can explore, manage and share their favourite audio content for free or subscribe to Spotify Premium for additional benefits, including enhanced sound quality, on-demand playback, offline listening and an ad-free experience.

Today, Spotify stands as the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service, with 626 million monthly active users, including 246 million Premium subscribers, across more than 180 markets.

Spotify in Numbers

  • 626 million monthly active users
  • 246 million Spotify Premium subscribers
  • Over 100 million songs in its catalogue
  • More than 6 million podcast titles
  • Over 4 billion playlists available
  • Available in more than 180 markets