- Popular Nigerian singer Tems recently released her debut album
- Her birthday came shortly afterwards
- TheRadar shines its spotlight on her for her achievements over the years
It has been an eventful period of the year for popular Nigerian singer, Tems, as she recently released her debut album and celebrated her 29th birthday.
Tems, born Temilade Openiyi, has taken the music industry by storm and continues to hold music lovers spellbound with her talent. The Grammy-winning artiste’s story is more than just “a singer turning 29 years old”. It's a chronicle of talent, dedication, and adaptability.
Tems' journey officially began in 2018 after her debut single, Mr Rebel, sent shockwaves through the Nigerian music scene. Its blend of R&B and Afrobeats announced the arrival of a force.
From there, Tems embarked on a streak of hits that helped her garner a reputation as a global phenomenon. Tracks like Try Me and Damages became songs of empowerment, resonating with listeners worldwide. Her collaboration with Wizkid, Essence, became a global hit, and she would not look back from there.
Essence was a song off Wizkid's Made in Lagos album. The song was the first Nigerian song to top the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Global 200 and also going far as receiving a nomination for the Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Performance.
Before the Essence run, Tems had won The Headies Award for the Best Alternative Song for her song Mr Rebel in 2019
In 2020, She dropped her first EP For Broken Ears, the second If Orange Was a Place in 2021. The album won The Headies Award for Best R&B Album 2022, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist 2022 and lastly South African Music Award for Rest of South Africa Artist 2022. In this same year she was also featured by American rapper Future alongside Drake on Wait for U. The song won Tems the much-coveted Grammy award in 2023, making her the first non-mixed Nigerian female musician to win under the ‘Best Melodic Rap performance’ category.
Tems' Grammy gong
Tems has since worked with Beyonce on Move, alongside Grace Jones; Rihanna by writing the song Life Me Up for the movie Black Panther. The song gave her another Grammy nomination for the Best Song Written for Visual Media. In 2024, she became the first female Nigerian singer to be awarded a Billboard Women in Music Award.
The recent release of her highly anticipated debut album Born In The Wild marks another milestone in her career. The album showcases her artistic growth and her ability to seamlessly blend genres, from soulful R&Bs to vibrant Afrobeats fusions. The project, although long overdue, further expands her discography and positions her for more success in the music industry, both locally and internationally. More so, it is a fitting climax for a run that began years ago.
As Tems celebrates her very first studio album and 29th year of life, we anticipate what more she has for us, the albums to be released, collaborations she will be involved in and the further reach she will give Afrobeats.
