Earlier in the week, Tems made history after receiving three award nominations on the recently released nomination list for the 2022 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards.
According to the full list released by the organizers, Tems was nominated in the ‘Best New Artist,’ ‘Best International Act,’ and ‘Best Collaboration’ categories. She became the first African artiste to receive three nominations at the grand event.
Read Also: BET Awards 2022: Tems, Wizkid, Fireboy Bag Nominations
Wizkid and Fireboy were also nominated following closely behind Tems with two nominations each.
The recent nomination of the Rebel gang leader, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, comes after she emerged as the first Nigerian recording artiste in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
.@1Future, @Drake and @temsbaby‘s “Wait For You” debuts at No. 1 on this week’s #Hot100 💯https://t.co/E41rGQxLbe
— billboard (@billboard) May 9, 2022
Read Also: Tems Nominated In ‘Global Music Star’ Category At 2022 Kids Choice Awards
Her musical achievement also following her collaboration with international rappers, Drake and Future on the song ‘Wait For U;’ which appears on Future’s LP album ‘I Never Liked You.’
The single ‘Wait for U’ debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 – Future’s second, Drake’s tenth; and Tems’ first.
Read Also: Wizkid Is Human, My Love For Him Will Not Change – Tems Reacts To Controversial Video
Soon as I heard the @temsbaby sample over @atljacobbeatz Instantly connected to my soul
— FUTURE/FREEBANDZ (@1future) May 12, 2022
Even tho wait for u is a sample and not an original recording I still put Featuring @temsbaby if u wasn’t familiar with her work. Thank u Tems
— FUTURE/FREEBANDZ (@1future) May 12, 2022
Indeed, Tems’ work on Wizkid’s ‘Essence’ put her on an international scale, albeit, it’s her mesmerizing vocals that found a way to enthrall her audience after humming into their souls.
The single, ‘Try Me’ aided the singer-songwriter to become a sensation with immediate effect courtesy of her melancholy vibes, introspective lyrics, and agitation for freedom of expression.
‘Try Me’ became an anthem, a year where Naira Marley was the rave of the moment and youths were acclimatizing to the lover boy lyricism of Fireboy and JoeBoy, Tems was in a world of her own.
Read Also: Wizkid, Three Nigerian Stars Bag 2022 NAACP Award Nominations
As a self-taught keyboardist/pianist and guitarist, the singer originally came into the music industry in 2015. It was not until 2018 that she slowly began to gain modest notoriety with the single, ‘Mr. Rebel’.
The theme and tone of her music differed from her contemporaries’ music; hers was dark and it came from a place of seeking confidence and satisfaction in oneself.
‘Mr Rebel’ was alright, however, it was ‘Try Me’ that quickly set her apart.
Read Also: Best Music Video: Beyoncé, Wizkid, Blue Ivy Win Grammy Award For ‘Brown Skin Girl’
Tems did not stop there, she has since released two EPs, For Broken Ears (2020) and If Orange Was A Place (2021); both projects did well to pronounce her skillset, excellence and professionalism to the world.
What will a BET Award do for Tems?
Although she is still very young, there is a lot that a BET Award win would do in pulsating her already glamorous music career.
It is quintessential to note that Tems received a BET nomination in 2021. She came short at the time, however, she is destined to win at least one at the 2022 edition.
Her senior colleagues, Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, etc. are also BET recipients, she is easily the next top Nigerian artiste to join the elongating list. The win pulsated the worth of the aforementioned artistes to a global scale; becoming one of the most marketable celebrities across Africa.
Read Also: Tems Unveiled As Featured Artiste On Drake’s New Album ‘Certified Lover Boy’
Tems is a woman of her own. She doesn’t sound like any other Nigerian artiste, she is an original entity.
She produces her music and speaks about her struggles; seeking her voice in a world marred with chaos and pandemonium.
Tems who turns 27 on June 11th could be looking to become the first Nigerian-born female artiste to win a Grammy; come 2023 and we would be discussing the excellence of a religious vocalist who wants to ‘free her mind‘.
