BIGSONG:
Temilade Openiyi (born 11 June 1995), known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Tems is best known for her feature alongside Drake on Future’s 2022 single, “Wait for U”, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first African artist to debut at number one and the second Nigerian artist to top the chart.She is also known for her feature on Wizkid single, “Essence”, which reached the top ten of the Hot 100 after a reworked version that has an additional feature from Justin Bieber and earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on Drake’s song, “Fountains”, which debuted and peaked at number 26 on the Hot 100. In the same year, Tems was ranked number one on the Billboard Next Big Sound chart and number-five on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. On 25 September 2020, Tems released her debut extended play, For Broken Ears. On 15 September 2021, she released her second extended play, If Orange Was a Place, after being signed to RCA Records.Throughout her career, Tems has received multiple award nominations, while winning two NAACP Image Awards, and a Soul Train Music Awards.
Early life
Temilade Openiyi was born on 11 June 1995 in Lagos, Nigeria. Born to a Nigerian mother and a British-Nigerian father, her family moved to the United Kingdom shortly after birth. Her parents divorced when she was five. Tems relocated to Nigeria with her mother and brother, they resided in Ilupeju before moving to Lekki then Ajah. Tems attended Dowen College before proceeding to study Economics in Monash South Africa, South Africa for her tertiary education. At school, she was noticed by her music teacher and learned to play the piano. She practiced singing with her brother and often used his guitar accompaniment.
Career
2018–2019: Career beginnings, Mr Rebel and Try Me
In 2018, Tems quit her job to pursue a career in music. She began to learn self production skills on YouTube and on 18 July 2018, she released her debut single, “Mr Rebel”, a song which she produced by herself. On 7 August 2019, she released the single “Try Me”. In 2020, DJ Edu chose her as one of “ten artists to watch” that year.On 23 April 2020, Tems was featured alongside fellow Nigerian singer Davido on a reworked version of American singer-songwriter Khalid and English electronic music duo Disclosure’s single, “Know Your Worth”.
2020–present: For Broken Ears and If Orange Was a Place
On 25 September 2020, Tems released her debut extended play, For Broken Ears. It was produced primarily by her and the single “Damages” from the EP became another follow up hit to “Try Me”, peaking at number one on the Nigerian Apple Music chart and number six on the then-newly launched TurnTable Top 50 chart and garnering five million views on YouTube. On 30 October 2020, Tems was featured on fellow Nigerian singer Wizkid’s single, “Essence”, from the latter’s fourth studio album, Made in Lagos. The song earned her a number one spot on BBC 1Xtra Airplay Chart. and also earned her first career entry on Billboard Hot 100 at number 9. Tems won a Soul Train Music Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Global Music Performance. On 8 November 2020, Tems was included in The Future Awards Africa: Class of 2020. On 13 August 2021, a reworked version of “Essence”, which contains an additional feature from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, was released, which propelled the song to reach number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. On 3 September 2021, Tems was featured on Canadian rapper and singer Drake’s song, “Fountains”, from the latter’s sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy, which debuted at number 26 on the Hot 100. On 15 September 2021, Tems released her second extended play, If Orange Was a Place. It was primarily produced by GuiltyBeatz, and the single “Crazy Tings” was released five days before and peaked at number three on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart. On 29 April 2022, Tems was featured alongside Drake on American rapper Future’s single, “Wait for U”, from the latter’s ninth studio album, I Never Liked You. The song debuted atop the Hot 100, making Tems the first African female artist to top the chart and more so debut atop the chart. The song samples the song “Higher” from For Broken Ears.
Artistry
Tems’ mother only listened to Christian music when Tems was a child. Later in her teenage years, she became interested in R&B and hip hop music. She listened to Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, and Aaliyah, and covered Alicia Keys’ 2004 single, “If I Ain’t Got You”, in a live performance. Growing up she was also interested in artists such as Burna Boy, Lauryn Hill, Adele, Coldplay, Paramore, and Asa.At the age of 15, she stopped listening to other artists in search of her own identity, because “I wanted to learn how to attack a song from what I was feeling, not what Beyoncé would do or anyone else”. Her voice has been described as deep, velvety, and androgynous.
Legal issues
On 14 December 2020, Tems was arrested alongside Omah Lay after they performed in a show in Uganda. The Ugandan Police authority identified violation of COVID-19 lockdown protocols as the reason for their arrests. The artists felt they were set up. Two days later, the Ugandan government released the two, apologized for the arrests and cleared them of wrongdoing.
