Cookey Mba
Nigerian global music star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, says she has already achieved far more than she ever imagined when she first ventured into music.
The Grammy-winning singer made the disclosure during an interactive session with fans on X. Responding to a fan who asked what she was currently looking forward to and whether she had achieved her pre-fame dreams, Tems said she is grateful for how far she has come.
She 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 transitioned into music full-time after quitting her job as a digital marketer in January 2018. She released her debut single, Mr Rebel, later that year, earning early attention in the alternative music scene.
Her global breakthrough came in 2020 when she was featured on Wizkid’s hit single Essence, which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 after the release of its remix featuring Justin Bieber.
In 2023, Tems made history as the first female Afrobeats artist to win a Grammy, earning the award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for her collaboration with Future and Drake on Wait For U.
She achieved another milestone in 2025, winning the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance, making her the only Nigerian artist with multiple Grammy wins to date.
Tems has also garnered international recognition beyond music, earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for co-writing Rihanna’s Lift Me Up, the lead soundtrack for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
With multiple global awards, chart-topping records, and historic achievements already under her belt, the singer says she remains open to whatever the future holds.
