Tems

Born in Lagos in 1995 as Temilade Openiyi, Tems first emerged on the Nigerian scene by blending afrobeats, contemporary R&B, soul and the alté aesthetic, with a deep, flexible voice often placed over slow, airy productions. She launched her solo career with “Mr Rebel” in 2018 and “Try Me” in 2019, before releasing the EP For Broken Ears in 2020, followed by If Orange Was a Place in 2021. This period marked her shift from local recognition to international exposure, notably through Wizkid’s “Essence,” then “Fountains” with Drake and Future’s “Wait for U,” which was built around her track “Higher.” Tems also works as a songwriter and composer, contributing to Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In 2024 she released her debut album, Born in the Wild, where she extends her introspective writing across afropop, R&B and more stripped-down ballads. Between Lagos, London and major international stages, Tems has forged a career in which vocal precision matters as much as the atmosphere of the songs.