Tems surpasses 1 billion streams on Spotify

The feat, which coincides with her big night at this year’s American Music Awards on 20 November with three wins, means that she joins an esteemed rank of Afrobeats greats, including Burna Boy, Wizkid, CKay, and Davido.

Signed to Since ’93/RCA Records, Tems boasts an exciting and singular sound that melds everything from West African pop to neo-soul and alternative R&B. Since bursting into the mainstream in 2018, her career has witnessed astonishing growth, casting her as a golden voice in Afrobeats and making her the recipient of an array of international awards. 

‘Essence’, whose remix features Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber, is taken from Wizkid’s fourth album Made in Lagos LP. Tem’s vocal contribution on the song earned her a Best Global Music Performance nomination at the 64th Grammys. Tems is also up for multiple Grammys this year for her songwriting contribution on Beyonce’s Renaissance album and rapper Drake’s ‘Wait For U’.

Aside from ‘Essence’, Tems’ commercial success has been driven by two EPs – For Broken Ears and If Orange Was a Place – as well as a plethora of runaway hits like ‘Crazy Tings’, ‘Damages’ and ‘Free Mind’ all of which have made her the toast of pop royalty. In the past couple of years, Tems has also collaborated with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake and Future, among others, and recently soundtracked the sequel of the 2018 superhero movie Black Panther.

In June, speaking at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, where she accepted two BET Awards, Tems spoke to the renewed global acceptance of music from the continent. “A great thing is happening from Africa right now,” she said. “The light is on everyone there.”

In October, UK-based performance rights organisation BMI honoured the singer with the Impact Award for her contributions to music through her “ground-breaking artistry, creative vision and impact on the future of music.”