Tag: Tems

Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi aka Tems has achieved a major feat in her career after she clinched the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award at the 2024 BET Awards last night.

The singer and songwriter beat Shirley Caesar (“Award All of the Glory”), Kirk Franklin (“All Things”), Halle Bailey (“Angel”), CeCe Winans( “Come Jesus Come”), Erica Campbell (Do You Believe in Love?”), Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore (God Problems”), and Kirk Franklin (Try Love) to scoop the award with her song “Me & U.”

The BET Awards Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award is given to an urban contemporary gospel artist. The winner is determined based on sales and the overall quality of content released within the eligibility period.

The award was originally titled Best Gospel Artist but was later renamed to its current title in 2017.

Kirk Franklin currently holds the record for this category, with six wins.

Temilade Openiyi, the famous Nigerian singer, who is popularly known as Tems, has announced plans to start a women football team.

The Grammy award winner talked about her love for sports on her YouTube podcast.

She said, “I love sports. I love sports, but if I could play football, I would. I’m like a football fan.

“I want to start a female football team. I think it is something that is needed. Like, why can’t we just have something like a local tournament with the girls? I feel like it would be fun.”

Tems also noted that the women’s football team would play in regional competitions since she thinks it would help the Nigerian women’s league a lot.

Tems rose to fame in 2020 when she and Wizkid made the popular song ‘Essence’.

She went on to do a remix featuring popular musician Justin Bieber, which earned her a Grammy nomination.

Temilade Openiyi, the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, who is popularly known as Tems, has described her ordeal in Ugandan prison as a blessing in disguise.

According to the ‘Crazy Things’ crooner, she felt honoured to have experienced prison.

Tems explained that she wouldn’t have known what prisoners were going through if she hadn’t had the experience herself.

She emphasised that her prison experience humbled her.

“Prison was once in a lifetime experience that I actually feel honoured to have had because otherwise, I would never have thought about these people, and to be in their presence was very humbling,” Tems told ES Magazine.

Recall that Tems and Omah Lay were arrested and charged to court and subsequently detained in prison in Uganda for making an appearance at a concert held in the country at Speke Resort, Kampala, on December 12, 2020, despite COVID-19 social distancing regulations.

They were eventually granted bail after two nights in jail.

Nigerian singer, Tems has opened up on how she avoids distractions from producers when making music.

Despite having a magnificent body and physique, Tems stated that she almost lost confidence in her appearance due to distractions from producers when making music.

The Grammy award-winning Nigerian singer shared this revelation in a conversation with YouTuber and content creator Korty EO.

Tems explained that her dislike for her body stemmed from her focus on producing and releasing music, rather than a desire to be noticed for her physical appearance.

She revealed that her body posed a career hindrance, hence, she switched from wearing cute outfits to baggy ones to reduce attention from producers.

“I used to not always like my body. I just didn’t understand a lot of things. I was going to a lot of studios alone, meeting people I didn’t know and had never met. I’ll message people to ask them to teach me how to produce music for people”.

“So, because of my objective which is just wanting to make music, if my being attractive is disturbing you and stopping me from achieving my goal, I am going to help you. So, when I go to the studio, I wear like baggy clothes and I’m in my alpha mode because I want you to not be seduced by me.”

Temilade Openiyi, the world-famous, Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, who is popularly known as Tems, has shared her opinion about the agenda of most men when it comes to relationships.

According to her, a lot of men approach relationships with no agenda other than s*x.

The host, Korty EO asked, “Have you been in love before?”

Tems replied, “A lot of guys, they are very obvious… There is no agenda but to penetrate.”

The ‘Essence’ crooner also opened up about being constantly misunderstood and bullied because of her reserved nature and how she handled it.

“Everything I did seemed to annoy everybody. They would say, ‘Why are you so slow? Why are you talking so slow? Talk like you are alive.’ And I would say, ‘You are very stupid. Are you crazy?’ I was upset all the time,” she said.

Tems added that she found solace in her musical talent.

Temilade Openiyi, the world-famous Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, who is popularly known as Tems, has revealed how a “serious illness” (she declined to specify) forced her to delay the release of her debut album.

Tems, who hit the global reckoning in 2020 after appearing on Wizkid’s summer hit ‘Essence,’ disclosed in a recent interview with the New York Times that her debut album was scheduled for release in 2021 but got postponed due to an illness that forced her into surgery and six months of recovery.

The Oscar-nominated diva explained that she released her sophomore extended play, ‘If Orange Was a Place’ instead.

Fighting her way back to health partly inspired her new music, which she said was about embracing life as a warrior.

“Being a warrior is about not giving up,” she said. “Even if they cut your leg, you walk on your knees, you fight on your knees using what you have — and that’s good enough.”

Tems’ much-anticipated and long-awaited debut album, ‘Born In The Wild’ will arrive June 7.

She is also kicking off her first headline world tour in June.