"There's a right way to love Tems, and it starts with sacrifice. On Love Is a Kingdom, she says "mine" (as in, "You're mine") a total of 69 times-70 if you count the one-off "you not mine." Most of these instances-57, to be precise-reside in track "Mine," but its reiterations reveal the kind of amor Tems inhabits: a union where two souls become one."
"Tems' use of repetition has defined her best songs, like "Burning" and all seven tracks on this EP. It never feels lazy or formulaic; her voice carries an authenticity, as if she's reached flow state. Beyond her hooks, Tems' kingdom rises on a foundation of syncopated log drums and 808s, draped in airy harmonies and soft strings. Her falsetto floats above it all, drifting between African, American, and Caribbean soundscapes and accompanied by shekere rattles."
"Tems cuts out nearly all external input, laying her feelings bare in a diary of romantic whiplash. Her vision of love reads like scripture: patient, kind, protective, and hopeful, even when it breaks you. The EP is a short 20 minutes, but its emotional arc feels liturgical. Songs move like mood swings in slow motion, dwelling on a fragment of time before shifting."
Love Is a Kingdom centers Tems' devotion through repeated refrains, including 69 utterances of "mine", with 57 occurrences concentrated in the song "Mine". The EP layers syncopated log drums and 808s with airy harmonies, soft strings, shekere rattles, and Tems' floating falsetto that bridges African, American, and Caribbean soundscapes. The project pares back from expansive debut storytelling into a 20-minute diary of romantic whiplash that reads like scripture: patient, kind, protective, and hopeful even when hurt. Songs unfold like slow-motion mood swings, alternating critique of an unambitious partner with surrendered, sacrificial devotion. Tems produced, composed, and wrote most material with GuiltyBeatz, remaining rooted in progressive R&B and Afrobeats.
Read at Pitchfork
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