Tems did not fit the mould of what an Afrobeats artist was supposed to be — and that is exactly why she changed everything. Here is the story of the voice redefining African music.
When Tems released "Mr Rebel" in 2018, she was a 23-year-old from Bariga, Lagos, who had recorded the song in a makeshift home studio and uploaded it to SoundCloud. She had no label, no manager, no industry connections. She had a voice — and that was enough.
Six years later, she is a Grammy winner, a Billboard chart-topper, and one of the most distinctive voices in global music. Her journey from Bariga to the world stage is one of the most remarkable stories in African music history.
The Voice That Stopped Everything
There is a moment when you first hear Tems where everything else stops.
Her voice is not like other voices in Afrobeats. It is deeper, more textured, more melancholic. It carries weight. When she sings, you feel like she is telling you something true — not performing for you, but confiding in you.
This quality — what musicians call "emotional authenticity" — is rare in any genre. In Afrobeats, which has historically been dominated by upbeat, celebratory sounds, it was genuinely revolutionary.
Tems did not arrive with a new sound by trying to be different. She arrived with a new sound by being completely herself.
The Wizkid Collaboration That Changed Everything
In 2020, Wizkid released "Essence" featuring Tems. The track was unlike anything either artist had released before — a slow-burning, hypnotic love song that blended Afrobeats rhythms with Tems' soulful, almost jazz-inflected vocal style.
The song became a global phenomenon. It spent weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reached number one on the UK Afrobeats chart, and introduced Tems to millions of listeners who had never heard of her. When a remix featuring Justin Bieber was released, it pushed the track even further into mainstream consciousness.
But what was most significant about "Essence" was not its commercial success. It was what it demonstrated about the range of what Afrobeats could be. The genre had always had room for emotion and vulnerability — but "Essence" showed that it could carry those qualities to a global audience without compromising its African identity.
If Orange Was a Place: Defining a Sound
Tems' 2021 EP If Orange Was a Place is one of the most important short-form releases in recent African music. In five tracks, she defined what Afro-Soul — the genre she has become most associated with — actually sounds like.
The EP blends Afrobeats rhythms with R&B harmonics, soul vocal techniques, and lyrics that are more introspective and emotionally complex than most Afrobeats releases. It is music that rewards close listening — the kind of music you put on headphones and disappear into.
The production, handled largely by Tems herself and her collaborators, is equally distinctive. The beats are spacious, leaving room for her voice to breathe. The arrangements are minimal but precise. Nothing is wasted.
The Grammy and What It Means
In 2023, Tems won the Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for her contribution to Future's "Wait for U," which also featured Drake and sampled Beyoncé's "Plastic Off the Sofa." It was a complex, multi-layered achievement — and it made her one of the few African artists to win a Grammy in a non-world music category.
The significance of this cannot be overstated. Winning in a mainstream American genre category, rather than the "global music" category where African artists are typically recognised, was a statement about where Tems' music actually lives. It is not world music. It is music.
What Tems Means for Women in African Music
Tems' success has opened doors for a generation of African women artists who are building careers on their own terms.
The African music industry has historically been male-dominated, and female artists have often faced pressure to conform to certain aesthetic and sonic expectations. Tems rejected those expectations from the beginning — and her success has demonstrated that authenticity is more commercially powerful than conformity.
Artists like Ayra Starr, Amaarae, Asa, and Simi are all building careers that would have been harder to build before Tems showed what was possible. The template she has created — deeply personal music, distinctive vocal identity, creative control — is one that the next generation of African women artists is following.
The Live Experience
One thing that sets Tems apart from many of her contemporaries is the power of her live performances. Her voice, which is already extraordinary on record, becomes something else entirely on stage.
She performs with a stillness that is unusual in Afrobeats — no elaborate choreography, no pyrotechnics, just a microphone and a voice that fills whatever space it is in. It is a confidence that comes from knowing that the music is enough.
Her headline shows at festivals like Coachella, Glastonbury, and Afronation have introduced her to audiences who came expecting Afrobeats and left having experienced something closer to a soul revival.
What African Artists Can Learn From Tems
Your difference is your advantage. Tems did not fit the mould of what an Afrobeats artist was supposed to sound like — and that is precisely why she broke through. In a crowded market, distinctiveness is more valuable than conformity.
Self-production is power. Tems' involvement in her own production has given her creative control that most artists do not have. She knows exactly what her music should sound like, and she has the skills to make it happen.
Patience is a strategy. She spent years building her craft before she was ready to release music publicly. The years of preparation are visible in the quality of everything she has released.
Emotional honesty connects. In a genre that often prioritises celebration and confidence, Tems' willingness to be vulnerable and emotionally honest has been her greatest commercial asset. Listeners connect with truth.
Stream Tems on Godfada Empire
Tems' catalogue — from "Mr Rebel" to Born in the Wild — is available on Godfada Empire alongside the full spectrum of Afro-Soul, Afrobeats, and African music.
If you have not yet discovered what makes her voice so special, now is the time. Sign up free at godfadaempire.com.
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Godfada Empire Team
Content creator and writer sharing insights and stories.
