Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems and a Grammy Award winner, recently shared that in a span of just three days in 2020, she received messages from Beyoncé, Rihanna and Drake.
Speaking in an interview with BigBoy TV, Tems recalled the surreal experience, noting that the first contact came from Beyoncé’s team, followed closely by direct messages from both Rihanna and Drake. Tems described the events as “surreal,” saying it felt like a dream. She explained,
“When I met Wizkid, I had only three songs. We recorded ‘Essence’ in 2019, it came out in 2020, and I released my EP during the pandemic.”
She continued, “I didn’t imagine that I would become this big thing. We did ‘Essence’ and things started going off. I started getting messages. Beyoncé reached out in 2020, and my mind was blown. I was like God, what’s going on?”
She added that hearing from Rihanna and Drake was particularly special, calling them artists she deeply admired for their impact on culture over the past decade.
Tems recounted, “I was in Nigeria, in my house alone, when I got their messages. It felt like something crazy was happening, like it wasn’t real and I was dreaming. I felt like I was being pranked.”
Tems’ career skyrocketed after her 2020 collaboration with Wizkid on “Essence,” and her release of the EP “For Broken Ears” that same year. She further cemented her status with her Grammy-winning contribution to “Wait for U” by Future, featuring Drake in 2022. That same year, she collaborated with Rihanna, co-writing “Lift Me Up” for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
In June 2023, Tems released her debut album, “Born In The Wild,” an 18-track project with features from Afrobeats sensation Asake and American rapper J. Cole. Notable tracks include “Born In The Wild,” “Special Baby,” “Wickedest,” “Love Me Jeje,” and “Voices In My Head.” Additionally, her track “Love Me Jeje” was featured on former President Barack Obama’s summer playlist, underscoring her rising influence.
