Digital Marketer turned Grammy Winner: Tems And Her Journey To Becoming A Global Superstar

Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi otherwise known as Tems is a sight for sore eyes and a soothing balm for the ears with the amazing power behind her vocals. It’s no wonder she is the rave of the moment but many wonder how her journey as a global superstar came to be.

Factually speaking, 27-year-old Tems is among the very few who barely passed through the ‘up-and-coming’ singer phase. It seems as though the platform was made ready for her from the onset but she wasn’t aware.

Though partially showing interest in music while growing up—we say partially because she played the piano after her music teacher in school noticed her, and practiced singing and the use of guitar with her brother. Tems was also in the choir during her teenage years.

Now that doesn’t mean she wasn’t interested in music but she wasn’t thinking about global success, or even a professional career in music. According to her, she was just trying to process her own emotions, and make the kind of music she wanted to hear and despite her family knowing her musical prowess, they were shocked to hear she quit her job to pursue music.

Tems Musical Journey To Stardom 

The songstress studied Economics at Monash, South Africa and made beats in her spare time by watching YouTube videos. When she returned to Lagos after graduation, she landed a job as a digital marketer.

However in 2018, Tems took a decision that was to change her life forever. She quit her digital marketing job to pursue music full-time.

In an interview with GQ, she said her family was shocked, majorly for cultural reasons and not because they weren’t aware of her love for music.

That same year, she released "Mr Rebel", earning her two nominations at The Headies. Tems first rose to popularity the same year she got into the industry with her single, Mr. Rebel. It became an instant hit in 2018. She continued her success in 2019 with the singles "Looku Looku" and "Try Me," resulting in devoted fans all around the world who now identify as 'the rebel gang.'

It was only the beginning of good things to come because with two EPs under her belt, she broke records and opened doors for women in Afrobeats and Alté.

Tems didn’t stop there, fast forward to September 25, 2020, her debut album, ‘For Broken Ears’ was released, with ‘Damages’ topping charts. The song peaked at number one on Apple Nigeria, number two on the Apple Music R&B Songs chart and at number six on the TurnTable 50. On 24 November 2020, "Damages" became the most played song on Nigeria radio

In 2020, she joined Nigerian superstar, Davido on the Afrobeats remix of Khalid × Disclosure's “Know Your Worth".

Not only was Davido’s collaboration monumental, so was her ‘Essence’ feature with Wizkid. It garnered her a slot on the Billboard Hot 100, a Grammy nomination, and a slew of celebrity fans. We discovered that even Barack Obama became a fan when "Essence" made it onto the list of his favourite music of 2020.

As if that was not enough, Tems got featured on Future's hit single "Wait For U" which features Drake, and Drake's "Fountain" off the album "Certified Lover Boy."

Barely a year after, her second album "If Orange Was a Place" and her work with Wizkid, Future, Beyonce, and Drake, made her the first woman to be nominated for Favorite Afrobeats Song at the AMAs.

On July 24, 2022, the teaser for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" was released, featuring Tems performing a version of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry." She isn't nicknamed 'Big Tems' for nothing.

She also won an International Award at the 02 Silver Clef Awards, Best New Artist at the BET Awards, and many others.

Tems has garnered several award nominations throughout her career, and she has won two NAACP Image Awards, two BET Awards, and a Soul Train Music Award + Nomination.

Her Grammy nomination came from the remixed version of "Essence," which included Justin Bieber. Thanks to the success of Future’s "Wait for U”, Tems became the first female artist from Africa to top the Billboard Hot 100.

Her performance also earned her a Grammy in the “Best Melodic Rap Performance” category on Sunday, February 5, 2023, but to mention a few.

We believe it is safe to say that Tems is, without a doubt, one of the most sought-after collaborators in the industry right now. DJ Khalid, just at the last Grammy hinted at a Tems collaboration and we just can’t wait. Celebrity fans, both home and abroad can’t seem to get enough of the Nigerian superstar and we don’t blame them—a win for one, is a win for all.