Late last month, Tems uploaded a tweet containing only a picture and a date, two items that would be vague in most Twitter posts, but for an artist, were quickly understood to be a tease for new music release. This sparse announcement later revealed to be for Me & U, her newest single, generated some controversy before the song’s release, but thankfully, not the kind that would be sufficient to threaten the “no controversy is bad controversy” dogma that many believe in. If anything, that extra burst of attention, unplanned granted it was, is just the kind of harmless publicity a pivotal single requires to increase the audience that awaits its release. The mix-up came in Tems’ cover art, which depicted her around the water, a common theme for female artists, especially this year—see SZA’s cover for SOS or Victoria Monet for Jaguar II.
