TRAIL-BLAZING SOUL STAR

Tems, born Témìládè Openiyi, never dreamt of fame. The Grammy-award winning hitmaker simply wished to make a life doing what she loved most. “In my head I was going to create a nice little neosoul community. Every Friday, people would go to this club to see Tems,” she explains. “I didn't prepare myself – I wish I had because then it wouldn't have been so shocking. But how could I have known?”

Today, Tems has achieved global acclaim, earning Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, awards from the Grammys, BET Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and two Soul Train Music Awards. The Nigerian phenom boasts a list of collaborations with longstanding stars including Beyoncé, Drake, Future, Wizkid, Justin Bieber and Rihanna, her genre-melding rhythms and lyrics mesmerizing peers and fans alike. She was named on Time Magazine’s 100 Next list and made a splash in the fashion world, as a first-time attendee during the 2023 Met Gala. “You know how they have pop stars?” she asks, “I see myself as a soul star.”

A ONCE-IN-A GENERATION SOUND

It’s hard to imagine the 29-year-old singer, songwriter and producer pursuing another path, but just about six years ago, Tems was sitting behind a desk, working for a digital marketing agency. It was a conventional trajectory more common in the world around her than music superstardom but left her feeling empty. Infused with Afrobeats, Soul, R&B, Reggae and Pop, the alté record introduced Tems to an ever-growing audience who fell in love with both her vulnerable tales and velvety-rich tone. Nearly two years after its initial release, she gained her fourth Hot 100 hit with "Free Mind," peaked at number 44 and number one on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.