Tems

Temilade Openiyi was born on 11 June 1995 in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Nigerian mother and a British-Nigerian father. Her name, Temilade, translates to "the crown is mine" in Yoruba. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to the United Kingdom, but returned to Nigeria when she was five years old following her parents' divorce. She grew up primarily with her mother in Ilupeju, Lekki, and Ajah.

During her secondary school years at Dowen College in Lekki, she faced bullying because of the natural depth of her voice. At the age of 11, she joined her school choir and initially attempted to sing in falsetto until her music teacher encouraged her to embrace her natural vocal range and taught her how to play the piano. She also practiced singing at home, often accompanied by her brother on guitar. At age 15, she intentionally stopped listening to other musicians so she could discover her own distinct sound and approach songwriting without outside influence. After finishing secondary school, she attended Monash South Africa in Johannesburg, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

In 2018, Tems resigned from her job in digital marketing to focus entirely on music. She taught herself music production by watching tutorials on YouTube and wrote and produced her debut single, "Mr Rebel", which was released in July 2018. She followed it in August 2019 with the alternative soul single "Try Me", which expanded her audience across Nigeria.

Her debut extended play, For Broken Ears, arrived in September 2020. The project was primarily produced by Tems herself and included notable tracks such as "Damages", "Free Mind", and "Higher". Her international profile surged when she collaborated with fellow Nigerian artist Wizkid on the single "Essence" from his album Made in Lagos. Following a 2021 remix featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber, "Essence" reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Tems widespread acclaim and her first Grammy Award nomination.

In September 2021, after signing with RCA Records and Since '93, Tems released her second EP, If Orange Was a Place, produced mainly by GuiltyBeatz. The release featured the single "Crazy Tings" as well as "Found", a collaboration with American singer Brent Faiyaz, and led to Tems topping both the Billboard Next Big Sound and Emerging Artists charts.

In 2022, Tems achieved historic chart milestones through high-profile collaborations. American rapper Future sampled her song "Higher" for his single "Wait for U", which featured Drake and credited Tems as a guest vocalist. The track debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Tems the first African female artist to debut at the summit of the chart. The collaboration won the Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, making her the first female Nigerian artist to win a Grammy.

Her involvement with major motion picture soundtracks expanded her audience further. She contributed a cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" to the soundtrack of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) and co-wrote the film's lead single, "Lift Me Up", performed by Rihanna. The track earned Tems nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. In the same period, she collaborated with Beyoncé and Grace Jones on the song "Move" from Beyoncé's album Renaissance.

Tems released her full-length debut studio album, Born in the Wild, in June 2024. Preceded by the single "Love Me JeJe" and supported by a global headlining tour, the album reached the top 30 in several European countries and became the highest-charting album by a Nigerian female artist on the US Billboard 200 at the time of its release. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, Born in the Wild was nominated for Best Global Music Album, while "Love Me JeJe" won the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance, cementing Tems as the first Nigerian artist to win multiple Grammy Awards.

Outside of recording, Tems broadened her business presence in 2025 by joining the ownership group of Major League Soccer team San Diego FC, becoming the first African woman to hold an ownership stake in an MLS franchise. In late 2025, she released the surprise EP Love Is a Kingdom and achieved her first UK Singles Chart number-one hit with "Raindance", a collaboration with British rapper Dave.