Love Me JeJe
| "Love Me JeJe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tems | ||||
| from the album Born in the Wild | ||||
| Released | 26 April 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:58 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Tems singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Love Me JeJe" on YouTube | ||||
"Love Me JeJe" is a song by Nigerian singer Tems, released on 26 April 2024, via RCA Records. It serves as the second single from her debut studio album, Born in the Wild (2024).[1] Produced by GuiltyBeatz and Spax, the song interpolates Seyi Sodimu's 1997 single "Love Me Jeje".[2][3] However whereas Sodimu's song is Nigerian hip-hop,[4] Tems brings the song into an Afrobeats landscape.[5][6] The song received a nomination at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance.[7][8]
Background and composition
[edit]"Love Me JeJe" interpolates Seyi Sodimu's 1997 hit song "Love Me Jeje", which also features vocals by Shaffy Bello.[9][10] On 22 April, Tems announced that the song would be released on 25 April, and performed it for the first time during her Coachella 2024 set. "Love Me JeJe" was released after she announced that her debut studio album, Born in the Wild, would be out in May.[3][2] Tems told Apple Music 1 that the song originated during a freestyle session she had with friends and that one of them interpolated Sodimu's "Love Me Jeje". Tems loved the original track and chose to include it in her recording.[11] Pitchfork said the song fused Afrobeats with elements of R&B.[6]
Music video
[edit]Prior to releasing the official music video for "Love Me JeJe", Tems made a visualizer for the song and uploaded it to YouTube on 26 April 2024. The official music video premiered on 3 May 2024. She directed the official video and filmed it at various locations across Lagos; the video serves as an ode to her hometown.[12] In the video's opening scene, Tems is shown having fun with her friends at a karaoke bar. Later, she is seen singing and dancing in the streets of Lagos while riding a tricycle and standing in a moving truck. The video also features evening scenes of the singer dancing with friends at a party. Moreover, it contains footage of Tems singing the song's bridge with Sodimu.[13][14]
Live performances
[edit]Tems performed the song for the first time on her debut Coachella set and on the American late-night talk show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May 2024, her debut appearance on the series.[15][16]
Accolades
[edit]| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MTV Video Music Awards | Best Afrobeats | Nominated | [17] |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Best African Music Performance | Pending | [18] |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Hitseekers (ARIA)[19] | 20 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[20] | 94 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] | 92 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[22] | 11 |
| Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100)[23] | 14 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[24] | 36 |
| UK Afrobeats (OCC)[25] | 1 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[26] | 4 |
| US Afrobeats Songs (Billboard)[27] | 3 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[28] | 41 |
| US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[29] | 5 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[30] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 26 April 2024 |
|
|
|
| United States | 20 May 2024 | Urban contemporary radio | ||
| Italy | 21 June 2024 | Radio airplay | [31] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Tems Shares New Song "Love Me JeJe": Listen". Stereogum. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b Mamo, Heran (22 April 2024). "Tems Announces 'Love Me Jeje' Single After Debuting It at Coachella". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b Mendez, Chris Malone. "Tems Pays Tribute To Beloved Nigerian Song With 'Love Me JeJe'". Forbes. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ Rolling Stone Staff (3 December 2024). "The 100 Best Songs of 2024". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
...Tems' "Love Me JeJe" is inspired by a radically different Nigerian hip-hop song of the same name (a 1997 tune from Seyi Sodumi)
- ^ Horvath, Zachary (26 April 2024). "Tems Recreates An Afro-beat Classic With "Love Me JeJe"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Songs from Rema and Tems make Pitchfork Top Songs of 2024 | Pulse Nigeria". www.pulse.ng. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ Atkinson, Katie (8 November 2024). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (8 November 2024). "Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar Lead 2025 Grammy Nominees". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (26 April 2024). "Tems pays homage to Seyi Sodimu on new single 'Love Me JeJe'". NME. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ Hussain, Shahzaib (26 April 2024). "Tems Shares Blithe Summer Soundtrack 'Love Me Jeje' | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Tems tells Apple Music about 'Love Me JeJe', how it came to be, and what fans can expect from her upcoming album". GRUNGECAKE™. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Watch GRAMMY-winning Nigerian superstar Tems' fun new visual for 'Love Me JeJe'". GRUNGECAKE™. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (3 May 2024). "Tems Self-Directs Her Karaoke Party in 'Love Me JeJe' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ says, Julia (3 May 2024). "Video: Tems "Love Me JeJe" - Rap Radar". rapradar.com. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (21 May 2024). "Tems Performs Silky 'Born in the Wild' & 'Love Me JeJe' Medley on 'The Tonight Show'". Billboard. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (21 May 2024). "Tems Mixes 'Born in the Wild' and 'Love Me JeJe' Into Tender Medley on 'The Tonight Show'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Best Afrobeats - Winners for 2024 MTV Video Music Award Awards". vma.votenow.tv. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Atkinson, Katie (8 November 2024). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 27 May 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1786. Australian Recording Industry Association. 27 May 2024. p. 25.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Tems – Love Me JeJe" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100 week of April 26th, 2024 - May 2nd, 2024". TurnTable. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Afrobeats Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ "Tems Chart History (Afrobeats Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "Tems Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ "Tems Chart History (World Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ "British single certifications – Tems – Love Me JeJe". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Tems - Love Me JeJe (Radio Date: 21-06-2024)". EarOne (in Italian). Retrieved 20 June 2024.