Grammy-winning Nigerian Afropop star Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has spoken out about the lack of respect for women in the music industry, describing it as one of her biggest challenges when starting out.
In an interview with the BBC, which began trending on Tuesday, Tems, who made history in 2023 as the first Nigerian female artiste to win a Grammy, reflected on her early career struggles in the male-dominated Afropop scene.
“I realised that there’s always a cost. There’s always a price that you pay. And a lot of those prices I wasn’t willing to pay and there wasn’t a lot of options,” she said.
While Afropop has gained worldwide popularity over the past decade, with Nigerian heavyweights Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid dominating global charts, female stars such as Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade have publicly discussed the gender barriers they face. Tems’ own career has not been immune to scrutiny, including online criticism earlier this year over her body after a performance video went viral on X.
In response to the backlash, she wrote: “It’s just a body, I will add and lose weight. I never once hid my body, I just didn’t feel the need to prove or disprove anyone. The more you don’t like my body the better for me actually.”
Determined to create change, Tems has launched The Leading Vibe Initiative, a platform aimed at empowering young women in Africa’s music industry by providing them with greater access to opportunities, audiences, and success.
“I promised myself that if I get to a place where I can do more, I will make this initiative for women like me and maybe make it easier for women to access platforms and access a wider audience and success,” she explained.
The initiative kicked off on Friday in Lagos, with vocalists, songwriters, and producers participating in workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions designed to build skills and networks.
Offering advice to aspiring female musicians, Tems stressed the importance of self-awareness and boundaries: “I think it’s important to have an idea of what you want for yourself, what your brand is, what’s your boundary. What are the things that you wouldn’t do for fame and the things that you would do?”
Five years after her debut EP, Tems has collaborated with global superstars Beyoncé and Rihanna, amassed over 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify, headlined international festivals, and will join British band Coldplay next month for their sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium.
Beyond music, Tems recently became part-owner of US football club San Diego FC through a partnership with West African investment firm Pave Investments. The move, she said, reflects her belief in breaking boundaries: “I don’t see myself as just a singer, just a musician, just an artist. I’m much more than that.”
Tems credits her rise to staying true to herself despite industry pressures. “Even when people tell you to change your sound, change your style, you look at them and you say: ‘No’. If it meant me not being signed, I was okay not being signed. I went to a couple of places that didn’t sign me and I was okay with that.”
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