Can Tems Become the Next Female Face of Nigerian Music?

Temilade “Tems” Openiyi is a rare musical gem. In just four years of her musical journey, she has completely succeeded in hypnotizing her-ever growing fanbase with her sultry, soulful voice.

The rebel gang (the moniker of her fanbase)  are all over Africa, Europe and America, and it seems her irresistable music will capture even more devout fans to her camp. Ever since she burst into the scene with the “Mr. Rebel” single in 2018, her sublime vocals have set her apart from other female artists in the industry. This goddess was not deterred by the homogeneity of the Nigerian music climate, and was poised to deliver emotively effective soul and R&B songs that will stand the test of time. Perhaps she will be the artists to correct the “alternative music” misnomer in the country. Artists should be appreciated for the exact genres of music they choose to make and they shouldn’t be constantly juxtaposed with the popular Afrobeats artists. However, one of the many colors to Tem’s feather is versatility, as she has shown her mastery of Afrobeats with her hit track “Damages”. It’s generally accepted that Wizkid’s smash hit, “Essence” would have been mediocre without the outstanding vocal performance of the 25 year songstress.

So far, the “Try Me” crooner is the most streamed Nigerian female artist on Spotify with over 250,000 streams. After scoring a nomination in the recently postponed MTV Africa Music Award as one of the Breakthrough Artists of the year, she has bagged another nomination as BET’s Viewer’s Choice Best New International Act. With only one body of work released, Tems is fast becoming a strong competition for Nigeria’s top three female artist, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, and Simi.

Do you think she can be the queen of the Nigerian music scene? Or is too early to make that assertion? Drop your comments on the comment section below.

Join Our WhatsApp Updates [CLICK HERE]