Tems

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Tems, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer. She was born in Lagos in 1995. Her family moved to the United Kingdom when she was still a baby. Her first name means the crown is mine in Yoruba. She became known in 2020 as a guest singer on Essence by Wizkid, a song that earned a Grammy nomination with a remix featuring Justin Bieber. In the same year she sang on Fountains by Drake and released her first EP, For Broken Ears.

Music and breakthrough

After that she signed with RCA Records and in 2021 released the EP If Orange Was a Place. In 2022 Future used a piece of her song Higher in Wait for U, together with Drake. That song entered at number one on the American Hot 100, something no African artist had ever achieved before. She won a Grammy with it. She also covered No Woman, No Cry for the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and co-wrote Lift Me Up by Rihanna. In 2024 her debut album Born in the Wild followed.

Influence

Tems's style lies between R&B, afrobeats and soul, with a low, warm voice and a calm groove. She is one of the Nigerian artists who entered international pop in the 2020s. That makes her a good example of how afrobeats reached the global pop world.

Listening

• 
  Essence · Wizkid feat. Tems, 2020
  Apple Music ↗

Discography

Studio albums

• 2024Born in the Wild