Tems Opens Up on the Defining Moment That Changed Her Career

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, has opened up about the powerful spiritual conviction that led her to abandon a career in digital marketing to pursue music full-time.

In a recent sit-down with Billboard, Tems revealed that the turning point came in 2018 when she could no longer ignore the inner voice urging her to follow her passion.

“It got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. It was really dawning on me like, it’s now or never,” she said. “I was just putting it off until I developed faith that God will see me through wherever I go.”

She resigned from her job in January 2018 and spent nearly six to seven months preparing for her debut. That leap of faith bore fruit with the release of ‘Mr Rebel’, which marked her official entry into the Nigerian music scene.

“Spiritually, I was aware that digital marketing wasn’t my path. It felt really like life or death. It was like this can make or break your destiny,” she added.Tems’ instinct proved right. Her global breakout came in 2020 through her feature on Wizkid’s smash hit “Essence”, which charted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. She went on to make history in 2022 as the first African artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 through her feature on Future’s “Wait For U”, alongside Drake—a track that also earned her a Grammy.

In 2024, she secured another Grammy win for Best African Music Performance with her song “Love Me Jeje”, further cementing her status as one of Africa’s most influential music exports.

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