Tems is arguably one of the biggest artists in Nigeria and also the first African woman to win the Best International Act Category at the 2022 BET Awards but her fame and rise to stardom has been shocking for some of her fans.
Many want to know the mystery behind her rise to fame in the music industry and her 2022 net worth. This article is here to shed light on everything there is to know about her journey in the music industry.
Table of Contents
Biography
What is Tems’ full name?
Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She gained international recognition for her feature on Wizkid’s single “Essence”, which reached the top ten of the Hot 100 and ended up earning her a Grammy Award nomination.
How old is Tems?
Temilade Openiyi was born on 11th June 1995 which puts her age at 27 years. She is one of the youngest female artists in the industry.
Early life and family background
Born to a Nigerian mother and a British- Nigerian father, her family moved to the United Kingdom shortly after her birth. Her parents got separated when she was five which led to her relocation back to Nigeria with her mother and brother. They resided in Illupeju before moving to Lekki then Ajah. Tems admitted to being a lone ranger and that gave birth to her finding solitude in music at the tender age of 11.
In an interview, she said, “I used to write poems a lot – I’ll just sit down and write things I’m feeling, and it’ll come out so poetic, even if I’m just talking about breakfast,” she laughs. “So then I just started writing songs, at around 11. Some were about me not having friends and some about my classmates saying I was weird.”
Education
She attended Dowen college in Lekki for her secondary school education. She later moved to Johannesburg to study Economics in Monash South Africa for her tertiary education.
At school she was noticed by her music teacher and learned to play the piano. She practiced singing with her brother and recorded songs with her school choir. According to a documentary with MU Narratives, she recounted how her music teacher helped her refine her sound when she believed that her voice was considered too heavy for a girl.
Music career
Tems career as a musician started at a tender age because she grew up singing in her church choir. As a young girl she adored top artists in the music industry with her favorite artist being Beyonce and her favorite song “solider” by Destiny child ft Lil Wayne.
Her journey in the Nigerian music industry started when she was 18 years, in 2013 she released her first EP, “Time Swap EP,” it didn’t do very well in popularity.
In 2018, Tems quit her job to pursue a career in music. She began to learn self-production skills on YouTube and on 18 July 2018, her determination and consistency helped her when she released her first recognized single titled “Mr. Rebel.” The song recorded a massive 200,000 views on YouTube and she recorded it herself. By 2018 her album “Illumination” was born.
It didn’t take long before she released another single, “Looku Looku,” a widely accepted song that received massive airplay.
Tems raised the bar after releasing her viral single, “Try me”- This song shot her into the limelight. It was released in August 2019 and had over 10 million YouTube views.
During the 2020 pandemic, Tems collaborated with DJ Khalid in a single titled “Know Your Worth”, It also featured Nigerian 30BG star, Davido, and Disclosure and made it to Barack Obama’s playlist for summer 2020.
On 25 September 2020, Tems released her debut extended play, “For Broken Ears”. It was produced primarily by her and the single “Damages” from the EP became another follow up hit to “Try Me”, peaking at number one on the Nigerian Apple Music chart and number six on the then-newly launched Turntable Top 50 chart and garnering five million views on YouTube. On 30 October 2020, Tems was featured on fellow Nigerian singer Wizkid’s single, “Essence”, from the latter’s fourth studio album, Made in Lagos. The song earned her a number one spot on her first career entry on Billboard Hot 100 at number 9.
On 13 August 2021, a reworked version of “Essence”, which contains an additional feature from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, was released, which propelled the song to reach number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. On 3 September 2021, Tems was featured on Canadian rapper and singer Drake’s song, “Fountains”, from the latter’s sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy, which debuted at number 26 on the Hot 100.
On 15 September 2021, Tems released her second extended play, If Orange Was a Place. It was primarily produced by GuiltyBeatz, and the single “Crazy Tings” was released five days before and peaked at number three on the UK Afrobeat’s Singles Chart. Later, Tems reached number one on the Billboard Next Big Sound chart and the Billboard Emerging Artists chart.
Tems was featured alongside Drake on American rapper Future’s single, “Wait for U”, from the latter’s ninth studio album, I Never Liked You. The song debuted at the top of the Hot 100, making Tems the first African female artist to top the chart and more so debut atop the chart. The song samples the song “Higher” from For Broken Ears.
In July 2022, Tems was announced as a guest artist on Beyoncé’s album Renaissance and covered Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry for the upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. On July 26, Tems gained her fourth Hot 100 with her song “Free Mind” from For Broken Ears debut on the chart.
| REAL NAME | Temilade Openiyi |
| STAGE NAME | Tems |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 11th June 1995 (27 years) |
| NATIONALITY | Nigerian |
| RELIGION | Christianity |
| GENRE | R n B & Afrobeats |
| STATE OF ORIGIN | Oyo State |
| TRIBE | Yoruba |
| INSTAGRAM HANDLE | Temsbaby |
| TWITTER HANDLE | Temsbaby |
| HEIGHT | 5’7 |
| RECORD LABEL | RCA records |
| QUALIFICATIONS | Economics (BA) |
| ZODIAC SIGN | Gemini |
| NETWORTH 2022 | $ 1,000,000 |
| RELATIONSHIP STATUS | Single |
Record Label
She is currently signed to RCA Records. Tems is managed by Muyiwa Awoniyi who previously managed Nonso Amadi during his own breakout year.
Tems Songs
Although she is still considered a newbie in the industry, but she can boast of many hit songs and major collaborations. Below are some of her songs and collaborations.
EP Details
| EP TITLE | For Broken Ears |
| RELEASE DATE | 25 September 2020 |
| LABEL | Leading Vibes |
| INSPIRATION | On her debut album, she meditates on love, life and relationships. |
| SONGS | Interference Ice T Free mind Temilade interlude Higher Damages The Key |
| EP TITLE | If Orange Was a Place |
| RELEASE DATE | 15 September 2021 |
| LABEL | Since ’93, RCA |
| INSPIRATION | With her sophomore EP she dives into the different emotions and inspiration behind each song and also about leaning into a newfound creative sense of freedom after a year filled with highlights and major international recognition. |
| SONGS | Crazy Tings Found ( feat Brent Faiyaz) Replay Avoid things Vibe out |
Other songs and major features
- Mr. Rebel
- Try Me
- Looku Looku
- Come Inn
- These Days
- If U then I
- Oldschool
- Plunge Down the Cascades
- Falling
- Twisted Tilde
- Drop
- Skills
- Too Bad
- Know your Worth – Dj Khalid and Disclosure featuring Davido and Tems
- Essence – Wizkid featuring Tems and Justin Bieber
- Wait for U – Future featuring Drake and Tems
- Move – Beyonce featuring Grace Jones and Tems
Tems Net worth
In this section, we have put together Tems’ net worth and annual income.
Tems Net Worth 2022
Although, as of the the time of writing this article, we haven’t been able to peg her net worth to a particular amount, but based on our research and according to a few sources, Bio Overview and Crebhills, Tems net worth is estimated to be about $ 1 million US.
What much does Tems earn annually?
Tems earns over $ 300,000 US, yearly.
Tems Source of Income
- Album Sales
- Youtube Channel
- Endorsements deals
- Music Appearance & Performance
- Spotify and other streaming platforms
Tems Relationships
Tems is not married yet and has not made her relationship status public, so it is believed that she is single or very good at keeping it off the media.
Tems relationship with Wizkid
It is undebatable that Tems popularity increased as a result of her appearance on Wizkid’s “ESSENCE”. In an interview with a UK channel, Wizkid stated that he first became aware of her after listening to the smash hit, “Try Me”.
After that, they performed together at his show, and thus their music power relationship began. The symbiotic relationship between Wizkid and Tems has earned them Grammy nominations and the best song of the year lists, like TIME Magazine and Rolling Stone.
The “Mr. Rebel” singer’s association with Wizkid, in the opinion of many fans, is what led to working with the Canadian rapper Drake on his Certified Lover Boy album(CL
During an interview with The Dotty Show, Tems talked about the song-making process of “Essence.” The music star said she could have done better, but Wizkid and other producers in the studio in Ghana believed the verses were good to go.
Using Wizkid’s words while describing Tems input on the song ” we made magic”. So it was no wonder when Wizkid performed on stage with the alternative RnB singer at the O2 arena. The summer “Essence” song thrilled fans and stars alike.
Tems relationship with Wizkid has put her on the global radar, which has helped her get a few endorsement deals recently.
Tems relationship with Drake
Tems has a cordial relationship with Drake, in fact, she was featured on his “Certified Lover Boy” album. During one of her Q & A sessions with her fans on social media, while explaining how she met Drake, she said, “I cooked chicken stew and rice for them. The pepper choke them small, but they loved it. #AskTems”.
Tems relationship with Future
Tems was featured on, the American rapper, Future’s recent album. He went as far as expressing his admiration for the quality of her talent on twitter.
Tems relationship with Ayra Starr
Although there has been rumors of a rivalry between Tems and Ayra Starr due to their similar sound, those speculations were aborted when a picture of both of them, fraternizing, surfaced online.
Tems on Social Media
Since the inception of her career, she has been able to garner a lot of fans and social media following. Her official Instagram page (temsbaby) has over 2.5 million followers and her official twitter account (temsbaby) can also boast of over 1 million followers.
Tems endorsement deals
Tommy Hilfiger made her their brand ambassador and this didn’t come as a shock because she had gained a lot of fame an international world recognition. Tems posted a confirmation on her Instagram page to show her excitement about the deal. ”Don’t trip; it’s TEMS x @tommyjeans For Spring 2022! It’s a good day #tommyjeans”, she wrote on IG.
Tems’ distinctive music sound won her the admiration of the global athletic brand, Reebok. Less than two months after she got the deal with Tommy Hilfiger, the singer signed one with the company. The deal was announced by the sportswear brand on Monday, January 7, through a campaign with the slogan “Life is Not a Spectator Sport. “
According to the campaign director and Senior Director of Marketing Creative & Design at Reebok, Jide Osifeso, the campaign aimed to motivate consumers to follow their passions, celebrate their individuality, and become active participants in the world around them.
Tems also bagged a partnership deal with Coca-Cola to take African music to the next stage. The beverage brand Coca-Cola also partnered with an international record label, Universal Music Group, and its artists. The campaign is called Conductor and will be premiered on Coke Studio. Apart from bagging endorsement deals, she also receives awards and nominations
Tems Awards and Nominations
Tems has bagged several awards and nominations globally despite being a newbie in the industry.
She bagged the Headies 2019 award for Best Vocal Performance (Female) and Best Alternative Song. She was also a recipient of the City People Music Award nomination for Next Rated Artiste (Female); in 2020, she won the Net Honors for Most Played Alternative Song(Damages) and Best Female Artist in Western Africa(Herself).
In 2021, she earned two US top 40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, with her collaboration with Drake on the song “Fountains” from his album Certified Lover Boy.
Her feature on the Wizkid single “Essence” boosted the song to reach the top ten following a remix with Justin Bieber and earned her a number one spot on BBC 1Xtra Airplay Chart.
Essence earned her first career entry on Billboard Hot 100 at number 9. Thanks to the collaboration, Tems won a Soul Train Music Award with Wizkid for Best Collaboration and two NAACP Image Awards. They were ranked number one on the Billboard Next Big Sound chart and five on the Billboard Emerging Artist chart. In October, Billboard named Tems as RnB rookie of the month.
The song Essence from the 2020 ‘Made in Lagos” album clinched the All-Africa Music Awards for Song of the Year. Tems, alongside Wizkid, also received AAMA nominations for Best Artist, Duo, or Group in African RnB & Soul and Breakout Artist of the Year (Damages). The duo went on to win Best African Collaboration in 2020. Tems bagged a Grammy award nomination for her feature on the song ‘Essence’ with Wizkid.
Other awards and nominations include:
2021-African Entertainment Awards USA
- Best Female(nominated)
- Artist of the Year
- Best Female Artist – Central/West Africa (Nominated)
- Won Best Collaboration “Essence”(Wizkid featuring Tems)
- Won Best Video(Essence)
- Won Song of the Year(Essence)
2022-BET Awards
- (Essence)Justin Bieber, Wizkid, and Tems won Best Collaboration
- Tems won Best International Act
2022- Headies Awards
- Tems has been nominated for Best R&B Album and Best Female Artiste (If Orange Was a Place)
- Tems and Wizkid (Essence) have been nominated for Best collaboration
Controversies
Tems in Ugandan Prison
Being a celebrity does not stop her from facing setbacks and problems and one major one she faced was being arrested in a foreign land for violating their rules
Tems alongside fellow Nigerian singer Omah Lay were arrested on 14th December 2020 by officers of the Uganda police for disregarding Covid-19 guidelines. The arrest occurred briefly after their Saturday night rendition at The Big Brunch, a concert held at Speke Resort, Kampala.
According to reports, the show was sold out, the first music show in Uganda since the COVID-19 lockdown rules imposed by President Museveni
Tems said she was imprisoned with roughly 50 women, some with their children, and many detained arbitrarily due to domestic disputes. “No human being should be in that condition,” she says.
Two days later, the Ugandan government released them, apologized for the arrests, and dropped the charges.
Conclusion
We believe that is just the starting point for Tems as she takes her career to higher levels in the global music industry. We are rooting for her and wish her success in her endeavors.
