Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed that she has surpassed every dream she had before rising to fame.
The Grammy-winning star shared her thoughts during an interactive session with fans on X. When a fan asked what she is currently looking forward to and whether she had achieved the goals she set before stardom, Tems responded:
“I’m looking forward to whatever the Lord has in store and honestly I’ve achieved beyond my dreams from when I had a 9-5.”
Tems quit her job as a digital marketer in January 2018 to pursue music full-time. She released her debut single Mr Rebellater that year, gaining modest attention before skyrocketing to global prominence through her feature on Wizkid’s 2020 hit Essence. The song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 after the Justin Bieber-assisted remix.
Her career has since been marked by historic achievements. In 2023, she became the first female Afrobeats artist to win a Grammy after her work on Future’s Wait For U won Best Melodic Rap Performance. She earned further acclaim with Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for co-writing Rihanna’s Lift Me Up.
In 2025, Tems made history again by winning the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance, becoming the only Nigerian artist with multiple Grammy wins.
Tems continues to cement her place as one of the most influential African artists of her generation.
