Lagos’ rising star tells us about her hyper-real video for The Key
As soon as Tems arrives at the other end of today’s Zoom line, I am instantly put at ease by her air of calmness. This isn’t surprising because her self-assuredness radiates in everything she does, from the way she speaks to her worldly views and her creative outpour. Born in Lagos, Tems tells me that her mother ensured she had a very happy upbringing. This meant that her passion for music grew organically, first by taking phrases and pairing them with playful melodies and then penning her first song aged eight. “I feel like my love for music is something that is internal, I can’t necessarily explain why I felt it so deeply, it’s just something that my spirit was moved to,” she says.
She still feels this unerring drive today, as evident in the new video for her single ‘The Key’, which is the closing track on her debut album ‘For Broken Ears’. Co-produced by herself, with a melodic display that could pass as a freestyle, the song is about rising above the noise of other people’s judgements and insults “and to never rely on human beings for any source of value or any source of importance to yourself”.
The visual is a cross between a Nollywood and a sci-fi film and in the opening scene we see planet Earth turn blood red across the continents and the seas. To better explain herself, she bursts into singing the chorus line from the reggae classic ‘One Blood’ by Junior Reid, adding: “It’s really about how the world wants to destroy us and we have to fight back by letting our light shine. At the end there’s a light shining from my eyes, which is the hope that if we can all come together as we truly are, we can make a change.”
Tems, born Temilade Openiyi, first started out as a digital marketer but soon moved on to her true calling. “The transition was tough. It wasn’t like I quit my job today and then tomorrow, boom I’m Tems.” Despite the uncertainty of a creative career, she still persevered with faith. “It's a spiritual journey, you have to really tune into yourself and find out who you are. I decided that I wanted to make an impact and all I need to do is share my story.”
She took to social media to share snippets of what would become her breakout single, ‘Mr Rebel’. Officially released in 2018, this song was a refreshing contrast to the up tempo afropop sounds that saturate the Nigerian music scene. Tems is now among the wave of Nigerian artists who refuse to be boxed into one genre or sound. “I tried to show people my songs and they said it wouldn’t work here but I think everything happens for a reason”. ‘Mr Rebel’ rightfully caught the attention of a growing number of hungry fans that now go by the name ‘Rebel Gang’.
“I hope that if we can all come together as we truly are, we can make a change.”
The singer subsequently released two more singles which were a stepping stone to her most notable body of work, ‘For Broken Ears’. The self-produced album covers the spectrum of her personal experiences while giving an effortless display of her neo soul sound and experimental flow. With a writing process that took three years, for Tems it navigates a time of personal growth. “I’ve written more songs since then but these songs are the dearest to me. I’m very attached to them and so I felt like I needed to release them first.” Her signature ad-libs, introspective song-writing and her production style create a sonic world that is the most authentic expression of herself, or as she puts it the “‘Tems’ sound”.
There is an adventurous side to Tems that she often speaks about. “Anytime there’s an opportunity for me to do something different I’m jumping on it,” she confides. This free spirit is what landed her the feature on Wizkid’s latest album ‘Made in Lagos’. On the track ‘Essence’, we see them spar back and forth over an uncrowded beat as they peel back the layers of love and desire.
Aside from the easy listening experience the song provides, it seamlessly ties together two different eras in the afrobeats world. It’s also a personal favourite so I was curious to know how it came together. “Working with Wizkid was amazing, he was just like ‘I don’t want to do anything, I want you to vibe first and I want to see how you translate this beat’. So I just closed my eyes and that’s what came out.”
Fashion is another form of art for Tems and she hints at designing and styling something for herself in the future. Right now though, in the midst of politically pressing times in Nigeria, Tems is focussing on making music that brings joy and resilience to people. “I hope it makes people stronger, I hope it gives people some kind of healing and calm in the chaos of what we live in.”