Tems
Tems is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer whose music brings together R&B, soul and Afrobeats, from “Essence” to her own Born in the Wild and Love Is A Kingdom.
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Latest
Tems’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus her backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Name
- Temilade Openiyi
- From
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Work
- Singer, songwriter and producer
- First single
- “Mr Rebel” (2018)
- Global breakout
- Wizkid’s “Essence” (2020)
- Debut album
- Born in the Wild (2024)
Mini bio
Finding her sound.
Temilade Openiyi grew up in Lagos and joined a choir as a teenager. She studied economics in Johannesburg, then returned to Lagos to work in digital marketing. Alongside that job, she wrote music and learned beatmaking from YouTube. In 2018 she quit to pursue music and released “Mr Rebel”, which she wrote and produced herself.
The songs that opened doors.
Her debut EP For Broken Ears arrived in 2020, with “Free Mind” and “Higher”. That year, her appearance on Wizkid’s “Essence” brought her voice to a wider audience. Future later sampled “Higher” on “WAIT FOR U”, featuring Drake and Tems, which won Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 2023 Grammys.
Making room for her own story.
Her 2024 debut album Born in the Wild includes collaborations with Asake and J. Cole. The next year brought Love Is A Kingdom and the launch of her Leading Vibe Initiative, which supports women artists, songwriters and producers. Alongside her own releases, her songwriting for Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” earned an Oscar nomination.
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 2026Bunce Road BluesPerformer and songwriter with J. Cole and Future
- 2025Love Is A KingdomSinger, songwriter and producer
- 2025RaindanceFeatured artist with Dave
- 2024Born in the WildDebut studio album artist
- 2022WAIT FOR UFeatured artist with Future and Drake
- 2021If Orange Was A PlaceEP artist
- 2020For Broken EarsDebut EP artist
- 2020EssenceFeatured vocalist with Wizkid
Film music
- 2022Lift Me Up, Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverCo-writer of music and lyrics for Rihanna’s song
Awards
- Grammy Award · 2025Best African Music Performance, “Love Me JeJe”.
- Academy Award nomination · 2023Original Song, “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, shared with Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson.
- Grammy Award · 2023Best Melodic Rap Performance, “WAIT FOR U”, with Future and Drake.
Quotes
Writing music helps me release pain and it helps me to heal.Tems, EE72
In her October 2026 cover interview, she explained how songwriting helps her process difficult feelings.
Trivia
- She learned how to make beats by watching YouTube videos.
- The “Higher” vocal sampled on “WAIT FOR U” first appeared on her debut EP For Broken Ears.
- The name Leading Vibe comes from a line in her first single, “Mr Rebel”.
- She told Apple Music that “Me & U” is about reconnecting with God and her inner child.
Find Tems
Follow her music, videos and updates.
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