The booking made complete sense the moment you understood the backstory. Tems has been showing up on Barack Obama’s annual playlists for years — “Vibe Out” in 2022, “Love Me Jeje” in 2024 — so when the Obama Presidential Center needed someone to represent the global reach of the former president’s cultural taste, she was always going to be in the conversation.
She took the stage at the Center’s John Lewis Plaza in Chicago on Thursday, wearing a rich crimson gown that matched the ceremony’s sense of occasion without trying too hard. Moving with the kind of unhurried confidence she’s become known for, she performed “Me & U,” the same song that had already earned its spot on one of Obama’s curated playlists.
Before she sang, she addressed the crowd directly: “I’m so blessed and so honoured to be here. This one is to you, everyone in this room and to Mr. and Mrs. Obama and all the family.” It was a quiet, genuine moment in the middle of a very large event.
And the event really was large. Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Common, Bono and The Edge, Marc Anthony, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, and The Roots all performed across the evening, with Stevie Wonder closing the night out with “Higher Ground.” Bono also stopped mid-set to serenade Michelle Obama with “Michelle, ma belle,” which is either charming or a lot depending on who you ask.
In the audience sat Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden — four former presidents in the same room, alongside their first ladies. Obama spoke about his path from community organiser to the presidency, and Michelle’s speech on democracy and belonging has been circulating widely online since the event wrapped.
Tems also posted behind-the-scenes photos to Instagram ahead of her set — deep purple ombre lip, defined liner, voluminous curls — and a full look at the crimson draped gown that’s already getting attention on its own. The styling felt deliberate, the kind of look that reads well both in the room and in the photos that will follow an event like this for years.
She’s the rare artist who can perform at something this ceremonial and still feel like herself doing it. Whether that’s a product of genuine ease or years of navigating increasingly high-profile stages, the result looked the same from the outside. The selfie she posted with Barack and Michelle Obama afterwards has been making the rounds too, and the comments are exactly what you’d expect.
With the Center now officially open and the ceremony already being dissected clip by clip across social media, Tems’ performance is one of the moments people keep returning to.
