Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, recently opened up about the transformative experience of receiving messages from international superstars shortly after her collaboration on Wizkid’s hit track “Essence.”
The song’s success expanded her reach and drew the attention of notable music icons, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Drake.Tems shared that the recognition from these artists was surreal.
“I never imagined becoming this big,” she revealed. “After we did ‘Essence,’ I started getting messages. In 2020, Beyoncé’s team reached out, and I thought, ‘God, what’s going on?’”
The artist was then overwhelmed with DMs from Rihanna and Drake within just three days. Having admired these global figures for years, Tems found it nearly unbelievable that artists who had shaped contemporary music culture would personally recognize her work.
Reflecting on the significance of these messages, she admitted, “It felt like I was dreaming or being pranked.”
This career milestone for Tems underscores the global impact of Afrobeat collaborations and the reach that talent from the African continent can achieve.
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