Tems: The Crown Queen of Nigeria’s Alté Music By Adamu Farida Isa
“Now you wanna lock me away, I’m winning. You wanna add to my pain, I’m shining” goes the pre chorus of the famous anthem, ‘Try Me’ released in 2019 which has earned prominence from within Nigeria’s ‘alte’ scene. The song is a proclamation of a very familiar voice with her musing lyrics, fluid melodies and artistic visuals, the Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer, Tems.
Tems is one of the figureheads of Nigerian alte movement. Alternative music is a bit different from the famous mainstream pop, the evolving artiste brings to life the essence of the music category with her creative imagination.
Born Temilade Openiyi, Tems is considered the child of grace. For someone who has not been in the music industry for long, she has hastened her rise to the top within the music scene in Nigeria and beyond. Indeed, ‘crazy tings are happening’ for the ‘daughter of grace’.
Tems was born in Lagos on June 11, 1995 and moved to the UK with her British-Nigerian dad and Nigerian mum. After her parents’ divorce, she returned to Nigeria with her mother and brother where childhood in Lagos felt solitary and writing songs offered respite. She picked up learning the piano and joined her school’s choir at a tender age. While studying Economics at Monash South Africa University in Johannesburg, Tems maintained her passion for music.
In 2018, she produced and released her first hit track, ‘Mr Rebel’, that won her an army of fans who have dubbed themselves the Rebel Gang. She produced the track herself after garnering the skill on YouTube. In 2019, the pioneering artiste released ‘Try Me,’ another hit single which openly put in place her penchant alternative, R&B and neo-soul sound, which gave her instant stardom.
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Not relaxing even after exertion, Tems dropped the first single ‘Damages’ of her debut EP titled ‘For Broken Ears’ which was altogether released a week after on all music platforms. Tems has done great collabos with a number of artistes including Wizkid, Khalid, Show Dem Camp, Lady Donli, Black Magic, Mannywellz, DRB Lasgidi and Odunsi.
With just few pop hits, two EPs and strategic collaborations, her star status has transcended Nigeria and is very prominent in the international arena. She has Fifteen million monthly Spotify listeners.
She had major collabo with Wizkid, who brought her in as the passionate background for his upbeat slow song, ‘Essence’, earning her a number one spot on BBC 1Xtra Airplay Chart, a Billboard Hot 100, a Soul Train Award nomination for Best Global Music performance etc. She also got a placement on one of the world’s most valued album, ‘Certified Lover Boy’, a Drake collaboration which has topped the UK and US charts.
With her win at the 2022 BET Awards, Tems joined Ice Prince, Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy as the Nigerians who won BET Awards. She went home with the Best International Act and Best Collaboration for her Essence. With this, she made history as the first Nigerian and African woman to bag that award.
She also got a feature on the soundtrack of Marvel Studio’s latest production, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her ‘Vibe Out’ made former US President, Barack Obama’s annual Summer Playlist for the year. She is the only Nigerian artiste nominated for the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Hip Hop Video. Credited as a songwriter on Beyonce’s upcoming 2022 album ‘Renaissance’ for track 10 ‘Move,’ Tems is obviously having a year to remember.
The queen is not only doing well for herself, she is making the country proud with her stage brilliance and unique delivery of awesome songs. The awards are coming in, the bucks are also coming in… The future is bright for the delectable entertainer.
Her success almost seems divinely determined if you understand the Yoruba meaning of her first name, Temilade, ‘Mine is the crown’. Surely, hers is the crown.
The alternative music here in Nigeria has lacked a queen for ages and Tems is wearing that crown without breaking a sweat. The crown fits the queen…
… Farida is a Mass Communication student at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria….
