Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has opened up about the bold and spiritual decision that led her to quit her digital marketing job to follow her passion for music.
In a recent interview with Billboard, the singer recounted her turning point in 2018, describing the move as a leap of faith guided by divine conviction.
“It got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. It was really dawning on me like, it’s now or never. I was just putting it off until I developed faith that God will see me through wherever I go,” Tems shared.
She revealed that she resigned from her job in January 2018 and waited nearly six or seven months before releasing her debut single ‘Mr Rebel’, which eventually gained attention and marked the beginning of her career.
“Spiritually, I was aware that digital marketing wasn’t my path… It felt really like life or death. It was like this can make or break your destiny,” she said.
Tems’ gamble paid off; her breakout moment came in 2020 when she featured on Wizkid’s global hit ‘Essence’, which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2022, she became the first African artist to debut at No. 1 on the same chart with Future’s ‘Wait For U’, featuring her and Drake. The song later won the Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
This year, Tems added another Grammy to her collection with her song ‘Love Me Jeje’, which earned her the award for Best African Music Performance.
