About Essence (feat. Tems)

"Essence" is a song by Nigerian singer Wizkid, released on 30 October 2020 as the 11th track from his fourth studio album, Made in Lagos. It features Nigerian singer Tems, who wrote the song alongside Wizkid. "Essence" was produced by P2J and Legendury Beatz. The "sensual" song sees the duo express their desire for each other. A music video was released on 9 April 2021, shot in Accra, Ghana. "Essence" is the first Nigerian song in history to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200. A remix with an additional feature from Canadian singer Justin Bieber was released on 13 August 2021.

After the song garnered popularity, Tems said that although she was "happy" with her first recording of the song, she felt her verse could have been better. However, Wizkid and his team thought her vocals were great and ultimately kept it. Tems recalled hearing the song "in the most random places", while in Los Angeles. "Essence" is an Afrobeats/Afro-pop and R&B song. Lyrically, it sees Wizkid and Tems yearning for each other's physical connection; deemed a "flirtatious" song, the artists deliver "tongue-in-cheek showboating". As observed by NPR's Sidney Madden, the song features Tems singing the chorus about how only her lover can give her the feeling of "lust and obsession and worship that she deserves", with the lyrics "You don't need no other body. You don't need no other body".