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FEATURE ARTICLE: TEMS IS OWNING HER CROWN

Image: @temsbaby (instagram)

The Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria attach a culture and celebration to name-giving. A naming ceremony in Lagos, where Tems was raised, is a robust event, drinks flow, relatives flock, and it's not uncommon for one to last into the night, or perhaps trickle to the next day. To them, a name is not merely a word to which one responds, it is a mark of identity and at once a prayer, a means by which loving parents and relatives may confer good wishes to a child. Her name, Temilade, translates from Yoruba to mean "the crown is mine" and if her dizzying journey in recent past is anything to go by, then the names given to her 27 years ago - little parcels of love and prayer wrapped in words - are guiding her. She is owning her crown.

2021 was a dream year for Tems. No matter how optimistic her new year prayers were, she probably didn't envision moving from a collaboration with an Afrobeats heavyweight like Wizkid to co-starring with acts like Drake and Justin Bieber. She's seen herself make friends of those who previously were idols, receive career advise from Rihanna, and, most recently, win a historic two awards at the BET, the most ever by an African act in a single night. Her voice is her greatest asset. Massive, yet immersive it seems to fill the room in which it is played, easily transversing skin and bones to lodge in a spot she created, a place from which she emerges to rouse feelings of escape, of love, of freedom and power. Her sound is unique, and she does not blur genres as much as she simply creates her own space, into which she draws ingredients of R&B and soul, reggae and pop for a cocktail that is new, bold and exciting every time.

'Crazy Tings' are happening for her right now, but her music journey began in the most modest way. "Mr rebel", her first ever single, was a child of resolve and ingenuity. Unable to hire producers good enough to make her sound like she wanted to be heard, yet affordable enough to fit into her tiny budget as an independent act, she took to learning production herself from DIY videos on YouTube. And this, the first fruit of her determination is a breezy, mellow RnB affair In which she affirms confidence in her abilities (I’m the sound on the ground, I'm the winning sound/ I'm the crown, I'm the vibe) while searching for and desiring to take care of a mysterious "Mr Rebel". She quit a promising career in marketing to focus on music, so the wisdom of her decision hinged on the success of this first single. With it she earned a small but dedicated following. If "Mr Rebel" was the laid-back wistful longing for a special person, "Try Me", Temilade's breakout single had her sit up to take charge of her emotions as she outgrew her fears and celebrated freedom in a tune that may sound African, Western and Jamaican without firmly belonging to any category. "You wanna lock me away, I'm winning/ You wanna add to my pain, I'm shining" she asserts on the bridge, with the confidence of a voice that knows just how good it sounds.

Her ascent since this single has been a blur. Seeking to build on the attention her singles had gathered, and to provide a body of work for the satisfaction of her eager, newly-gathered fans, she released For Broken Ears in September 2020. With 7 tracks, it sits at the intersection between album and extended play, and while it's exact identity may be up in the air, there's no doubt as to the themes she intends to highlight on this debut project. "Damages", the single released first to rally support for it, sees her heal from scars and promptly end a relationship that no longer measures to her standards. It's classic Tems, her big voice towered only by her bigger attitude, and these two features remain a constant for most of the album.

On the 23rd of February, 2020, Afrobeats chieftain, Wizkid took to his Twitter account to announce "Tems and I created magic", a tweet that is now recognized in fan circles as the very first chapter in the story of essence, the smash from his Grammy nominated Made In Lagos. The track itself arrived eight months after, and it was a savory affair, Tems is transformed into the luscious sweetheart we rarely ever get to see as she trades lines of love and longing with a pleasant Wizkid, who is right at home in a song like this. Throw in delicate R&B production with traces of Caribbean and Afropop elements, and it's no wonder it was the fuel for so many evening grooves as one of the songs of the summer of 2021, proving irresistible for even Justin Bieber, who simply had to jump on it's remix. His countryman, Drake, responded to the success of this single by immediately tapping up Tems to feature on "Fountains", a track off Certified Lover Boy that was the next milestone passed in Tems' journey. It's slow-burning afropop production, breezy beachside vibes and of course, Tems powerful, sultry delivery are lines that can be drawn between the two songs.

Off the back of intercontinental success, her latest EP, If Orange Was A Place, arrived to a much larger reception than her earlier effort. And while a wider audience must be the desire of every creative, greater publicity brings with it closer scrutiny, a more critical look and mounting pressure to keep fans it took so much effort to gather. But if any of these fears plagued Tems in the production of this extended play, it definitely doesn't reflect on its quality or focus as she's been able to produce a work that is just as good as her debut. She stuck to her guns entirely, choosing to double down on all the features that brought her to limelight in the first place while her happier and more balanced mentality reflects in her songwriting.

Her most recent appearance is on Future's "I NEVER LIKED YOU". She's not given much to do here, her contribution is a sample of Higher, off her first album. But what was the most intimate spot on "For Broken Ears" is made into the foil to Future's slurry delivery and Drake's snappier lines on "Wait For You" and it's a rivetting success. The song's especially warm reception speaks to her rising star power in the stateside market, almost as much it does to the rap duo's massive pull.

The sky is the limit now for Temilade. She's established her talent and then reiterated it with successive, successful EPs, and with a feature from Wizkid and advise from Rihanna already in the bag ahead of the album that's expected to arrive this year, it is safe to assume 2022 will be an even better year for Afrobeats' new darling.

This article was written by Afrobeats City Contributor Ezema Patrick - @ezemapatrick (Twitter)

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