On stage, she doesn’t rush. She doesn’t need to.
When Temilade Openiyi, known to the world as Tems, steps into the spotlight, there’s a stillness that falls over the crowd. Her voice rises, deep yet fragile, powerful yet tender, and suddenly the entire room is hers. From Lagos to Los Angeles, fans describe the same feeling: a voice that doesn’t just sing, but reaches straight into the soul.
This week, that voice made history.
Tems has become the first Nigerian female artist to sell over 10 million units in the United States, a record confirmed on September 30, 2025, by music data authority Chart Data. The song that carried her there-“WAIT FOR U”, her collaboration with American rapper Future and Canadian superstar Drake has now been certified Diamond. For context, Diamond isn’t just success. It’s immortality. It’s where songs like Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Drake’s “God’s Plan” live.
And now, Tems lives there too.
A Voice That Carved Its Own Path
Tems’ story didn’t begin in glittering arenas or Grammy afterparties. It started quietly in Lagos, where she would write, produce, and record her own songs. In 2018, she introduced herself to Nigeria with “Mr Rebel”, raw and unpolished, but with a sound nobody could ignore.
Two years later, when she appeared on Wizkid’s “Essence”, the world noticed. The track wasn’t just a hit—it was a revelation. Essence climbed the Billboard Hot 100, pulled Afrobeats deeper into mainstream America, and positioned Tems as a new kind of star: unapologetic, soulful, and unwilling to fit into anyone’s box.
That same voice has since carried her to a Grammy win, over one billion Spotify streams, and now, one of music’s rarest milestones—10 million U.S. sales.
The World Tour of a New Icon
Right now, Tems is living out the dream she once sketched in her notebooks: a world tour that spans continents. On September 28, she opened in Nairobi, Kenya, where fans screamed her lyrics back at her with unfiltered devotion. After the show, she took to X (formerly Twitter): “Kenya! The love has been insane! I love you so much. Till next time.”
From Africa, she’ll move to South America, and then North America—culminating in a headline concert at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, one of the largest stages in the world.
It’s a long way from Lagos studios where she once pieced together beats on a laptop, but for Tems, it’s only the beginning.
A Seat at the Table with the Greats
Her achievement places her alongside Nigerian superstar Wizkid, who reached Diamond status in 2022 for his feature on Drake’s “One Dance”. But while Wizkid blazed the trail, Tems is carving something different—she’s rewriting what it means for an African woman to dominate the global charts.
Her trophy shelf already carries a Grammy, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and a Soul Train Award. But perhaps more importantly, her success is reshaping how the world sees African artists—no longer as guests in global pop, but as leaders of a new era.
The Legacy She’s Building
Numbers matter—10 million units sold is history, and history is forever. But with Tems, it has never been just about numbers. Her music feels intimate, personal, like diary pages sung aloud. Fans don’t just listen; they hold onto her songs like confessions they’ve always wanted to make themselves.
That is why this moment feels bigger than a chart milestone. It feels like the arrival of an artist whose legacy will stretch far beyond music sales.
Tems is not just selling records. She’s selling a story—one of resilience, of self-belief, and of a Nigerian girl who dreamed beyond the borders of her city, and now stands as one of the most important voices of her generation.
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