Billboard cover star Tems is diving into her the trajectory of her career, balancing her personal life, breaking records, teases new music, her favorite songs she’s put out, her involvement with San Diego FC, how representation has evolved in the music industry, the challenges of fame, her future goals and more!
What’s your favorite Tems song? Let us know in the comments!
What’s your favorite Tems song? Let us know in the comments!
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MusicTranscript
00:00I really want to give musically.
00:03That's where my goal is.
00:04It's just the experience that I'm giving,
00:06the experience that I'm sharing with the world.
00:10I have a certain vision for it,
00:12which is hard to describe in words,
00:15but it's just that vision that has been on my mind
00:18in terms of where I want to get to.
00:30Well, excited to be here with you.
00:34Me too.
00:35I mean, this is the fourth time we've chatted,
00:38but, you know, much bigger occasion,
00:40super happy in person in London where you live.
00:43In London, yeah.
00:44So how long have you lived in London for?
00:46I've lived in London for about three years now.
00:50And your family moved here when you were a baby, correct?
00:53Yes.
00:54My dad still lives here, actually.
00:56I was raised in Lagos still.
00:58I didn't stay here too long when I was a baby.
01:01And so obviously Lagos is still considered home.
01:03Oh yeah, for sure.
01:05I remember, I think I was watching your Vogue France video
01:07when you were getting ready for the Jacques Mousse show.
01:09And you were talking about like your Pilates class
01:12and how like you have to keep changing them
01:14because people are recognizing you
01:16and you're like not even booking under your real name.
01:18How do you, you know, maintain a sort of normal-ish routine?
01:21The way I am naturally is,
01:24I wouldn't say it's routine based,
01:26but I find joy in, you know, quiet and having my own time.
01:33And I just keep my life private,
01:35like my private life private and my public life public.
01:39How's your relationship with your fame evolved over the years
01:42and making sure you're still maintaining that peace?
01:45At least when I first started,
01:46there's a lot of things I wasn't comfortable with.
01:49I'm hyper sensitive to a lot of things.
01:51So everything was uncomfortable.
01:53I just love music.
01:55You know, I was always focused on my art
01:58and just putting on music.
02:00I wasn't thinking about how I looked.
02:01I wasn't thinking too much about anything really,
02:04just music. Music was my life.
02:06It's still my life.
02:07But now I feel like I've learned so much about not just myself,
02:14but people.
02:16I feel like I'm able to relate with people a bit more now than ever before.
02:21And that keeps my humanity.
02:23I reserve my rights to be human.
02:26So I treat myself like a human being.
02:29I don't think too much about whether I'm famous or I'm not famous.
02:32What does your day to day look like these days?
02:34A lot of traveling, a lot of road trips, a lot of flights.
02:40I wake up and there's always something that's happening in the day.
02:44I cherish days where I just get to like chill at home and do absolutely nothing.
02:48Every day is something different, which is actually very exciting for me.
02:52What is like your favorite thing to do during a free time?
02:55Make music.
02:57Also, I like painting.
03:00If I'm in my house, I just sit down and watch anime, documentaries, crime documentaries.
03:09Yeah, I love anime.
03:11Wow, I never knew that about you.
03:13Yeah, I mean, there's a lot you don't know about me.
03:23I remember like in February, just like when I was watching you on social media,
03:27I was seeing so many things happening in your world.
03:29Obviously, you are part of the ownership group for San Diego FC.
03:33So you had like the celebration dinner and then the game.
03:36Then you're in L.A. for the Oscars and the after parties.
03:41And then the next time I see you, it's like Paris Fashion Week.
03:44And you said like a lot of the times you're on a plane, you're doing road trips.
03:48How have you adjusted to that and maintained that kind of schedule?
03:51Just like from the travel itself to the actual events that you're attending.
03:55I take it step by step.
03:57I make sure I'm prepared and nothing takes me by surprise.
04:01I always know what's happening beforehand.
04:04So mentally, I'm always prepared.
04:07Honestly, I try and stay silent as much as possible.
04:10I have like an energy saving mode, you know, on your phone where you put on like energy saving.
04:16That's me.
04:17I'm like always saving my energy for when I really need to like come out.
04:23I'm definitely an introvert.
04:25I try to act like I'm out there, but I think people know that I'm...
04:31What inspired you to get into music?
04:33And like, what did you fall in love with first?
04:35Singing, songwriting or performing?
04:37I don't think I performed until like I was at least a year or so into being an artist.
04:45But I've been making, creating music, writing music since I was almost a teenager.
04:52I love when I create music and I'm the only one that's heard it because it's still mine.
04:57I create music just so that I can have a little more time with it to myself before I share a little.
05:06Share of the world.
05:08I mean, given the fact that you've been doing this since you were a teenager, when it was time to go to school,
05:12like how did you get to studying economics when you were in college?
05:16I didn't have a choice, girl.
05:19My mom basically like enrolled me last minute.
05:22You know, I tried to like miss all the deadlines and she enrolled me into a school in South Africa last minute.
05:29And she was like, we're going together and you're going to school and that's it.
05:33I feel like the one thing an African parent loves the most is a college education.
05:38Oh, I mean music. You want to do what?
05:40Yeah.
05:41You want to sing.
05:42When you were studying, what were your post-grad goals at the time?
05:46Were you still like, I want to dive into music?
05:49Or were you thinking like, oh, I mean, I have this economics degree that I could do something with it.
05:54I think I just wanted to make everybody happy.
05:59I was still like people pleasing.
06:01I was just like someone is paying my school fees.
06:03I have to make them proud.
06:04I'm very sensitive to people's feelings and wanting to do right by people.
06:11So back then I was just like, well, I'm just going to do my best and do music after school.
06:18And when I have this degree, I just hand them, look, I did the school.
06:23Leave me alone now.
06:24Everybody should just leave me to be and let me do my music.
06:28And that's what happened.
06:30I mean, somewhere in between you got a digital marketing job.
06:34Yes.
06:35But then you said, you know, we can't have none of that.
06:38It just got to a point where I couldn't take anymore.
06:41And it was really dawning on me like it's now or never.
06:45I was just putting it off until it was just about like having faith that God will see me through wherever I go.
06:53How long after you quit your job did you release Mr. Rebel?
06:57I quit my job January 2018.
07:00I released Mr. Rebel 2018.
07:02Okay.
07:03Same year.
07:04Same year in six months, six, seven months after I quit my job.
07:09It's a good way to start the new year.
07:10It's like you're fully diving into what you have always wanted to do.
07:14Yeah.
07:15I think that's why I'm spiritually.
07:16I was just like aware, like this is not my path.
07:22I need to leave this place right now.
07:25Like it felt really like life or death.
07:28Like this can make or break your destiny and you need to make a decision right now.
07:33And I chose to take that leap.
07:36And it was obviously worth it.
07:38Yes.
07:39I think about it a lot.
07:40Like, wow.
07:41Imagine if I didn't believe.
07:43You obviously had such like an incredible career trajectory.
07:47I feel like as an African woman, we don't always get to see that for ourselves.
07:52Like we don't get to see someone who looks like us actually reach that level that we would love to get to.
07:58Who did you look up to, you know, whether they were African or not in terms of like a model of success or like a career who you like?
08:06Oh wow, I really love this arc and would love to do that for myself.
08:10Career wise, Rihanna, I think she's like one of the youngest business women that any woman should look up to.
08:19In terms of like, not just music, but business, fashion, I think she's definitely one of the people that a lot of women and girls do look up to.
08:29What's been the most rewarding part of your journey so far?
08:32And what's been the most challenging part?
08:34I think the most rewarding part of my journey is my mom.
08:39My mom is like my angel.
08:41She means a lot to me because we went through it.
08:44I was taking care of her.
08:46She had broken her leg and I asked her before I quit my job.
08:51And I told her mom, I've been really thinking about quitting my job, you know,
08:55because we were going through a lot at the time and we needed that job.
08:58And she was like, yes, I think you should.
09:01And I think you should go and chase your dreams and try this music thing.
09:06You can do it, you know, and I believe in you.
09:08Just do whatever you need to do.
09:11Don't worry about me.
09:12I'm here for you.
09:14And just seeing her over the years do everything she can for me and now seeing her happy every day.
09:22That's the most fulfilling part of my life.
09:24Just being able to make her smile.
09:28And the most challenging thing I think I've faced so far is being perceived or paid attention to.
09:39I think I was able to be so free as a child because nobody cared about me.
09:45Nobody cared what I was doing.
09:46I could disappear for a long time.
09:49You won't see me in days.
09:51And I enjoyed it.
09:53So I wasn't sad like, oh, nobody cares where I am.
09:56I loved being on my own and doing my own thing.
10:00So I kind of got too used to that.
10:02And now when I started getting attention, it was like a foreign feeling.
10:10Like why does everybody care about what I do, you know?
10:14I realized it's not something to be afraid of.
10:18It's not something that is threatening my safety.
10:21I'm okay.
10:22I'm safe.
10:23You know, and because I feel safe now, I can give back.
10:27I can receive love, give love and be who I really need to be for whoever needs me.
10:40It's so interesting with like your career and like the music specifically.
10:44A lot of the songs you're on or projects you've made get so much critical acclaim
10:49and like chart success, like years after their release, you know, like with Essence.
11:00It's on Wiz's album in 2020, but it's like the song of the summer in 2021.
11:05Then you have, you know, Free Mind broke the Billboard R&B hip hop airplay record.
11:11And you have Hire being sampled on Wait For You.
11:14And this is years after For Broken Years.
11:16Or are you surprised like, oh, wow, now all of a sudden you guys are paying attention?
11:20It's not something I think about.
11:23When I make a song, the moment I share that song, like I was saying,
11:27the moment I share any song with anyone, it's not mine anymore.
11:31So, you know, I had done Essence by the time it was popping up.
11:35I had already made Me & You and I already made Crazy Things.
11:38And the next EP, I already made all of that.
11:41My focus at the time was, oh, these next few songs I'm so excited about.
11:46The weekend I shot Essence video is the same weekend I made Me & You.
11:52I made Crazy Things.
11:54I was like, wow, these songs are so exciting.
11:56Whoa, I can't wait.
11:58But it's not necessarily like, oh, I wonder what people are going to think.
12:02It's just the excitement of this is music.
12:06Something that I read about, like, you know, your creative process is you freestyle a lot.
12:11How is it when you are writing a song for someone else?
12:14Like, you know, with Rihanna's Lift Me Up.
12:16Is it harder to transition, like, okay, now I'm doing this for someone else?
12:26Like, are you still freestyling?
12:28Is it more like I have to write down everything?
12:30I think maybe move with the Beyonce song.
12:33That was, like, the first time I really, like, was trying to come out of myself and write for someone else.
12:45But it's not something I've been successfully able to do, even with Lift Me Up.
12:49At the time I wrote it, I wasn't, like, told I was writing for anyone.
12:54It was just the session itself was like a normal session.
12:59It wasn't a writing session.
13:01It was like a temp session where we're just, like, making a song.
13:05You know, so that's different because I wasn't trying to channel anybody else.
13:09But I'm not really good at that.
13:11I think that's one thing I don't know how to do.
13:14I love how you said, like, you're not successful at it, but then the two songs you named are, like, a Beyonce and a Rihanna record.
13:20A Rihanna song.
13:21That is honestly good.
13:23I would give that to good and, you know, everybody that was involved because I didn't see that coming.
13:30Speaking of freestyling, how many voice memos do you say you have saved on your phone right now?
13:367,000.
13:37Whoa.
13:38I've saved every voice note I've ever had since 2016.
13:45And those are all, like, song ideas.
13:48It could be, like, ten voice notes is the same song.
13:51Mm-hmm.
13:52But they're all, yeah, they're all song ideas.
13:54Wow.
13:55I don't know if I'm more impressed with your creative capacity or, like, your phone capacity
13:59because I feel like I'm, like, always deleting apps just to save stories.
14:03iCloud, and every time I buy a new phone, I always get the biggest size.
14:08Yeah, you'd have to.
14:17Okay, so when we spoke at the Grammy Museum, when I asked you your favorite songs to perform, you said,
14:21Turn Me Up, Higher, and Ice-T.
14:23Are that the same three favorite songs?
14:26Mmm, Turn Me Up for sure.
14:29Me and You.
14:30Burning is, like, one of my favorites.
14:32Burning, burning and burning, burning.
14:39Do you have a favorite song that you've ever made?
14:41I've ever made.
14:42Yeah.
14:43Okay, favorite songs.
14:44I love all my songs until I, like, give them away.
14:48So, my favorite song right now is not released.
14:51I knew it.
14:53But released, probably, like, Burning Hold On.
14:57I have a song called Hold On.
14:59I really like that song.
15:00You In My Face is actually my favorite song that I've released that I can still listen to and enjoy.
15:08You mentioned that you performed in South Africa.
15:17Yeah.
15:18And I read that you were actually the first artist to perform at their new venue, The Dome.
15:21Oh, right, yeah.
15:22How was that show?
15:23That was crazy.
15:25Like, I couldn't hear myself.
15:27The screaming was crazy.
15:29That's why I love them, because they don't hold back at all.
15:33They show you love.
15:34And it was, like, one of the best shows I've ever done.
15:37Wow.
15:38Yeah, like, and it's really just because of the people.
15:40Like, they are amazing, amazing people.
15:43Was that your first time performing in South Africa ever?
15:45No.
15:46Okay.
15:47It's my third time, actually.
15:48Oh, wow.
15:49But every single time I've gone, it's just getting better and better and better and better.
15:53And they always give me the same energy.
15:56If I was doing a residency, I'd probably do it in South Africa.
16:00That's good to know.
16:01Yeah.
16:02Yeah.
16:03Was that your only show during the Born in the Wild world tour that was in Africa?
16:08So far, but we're doing more shows this year.
16:11Ooh.
16:12In your opinion, what are the upsides and the downsides to the live music market on the continent?
16:17There's a certain level of production that most people are just used to doing in Africa.
16:23And I think it's finding the roots.
16:26Like, finding the venues that, like, would accommodate the kind of experience you want to give.
16:33Anyone can do a live thing, but I feel like, as an artist, that I really want to give a certain experience
16:42that I think has been hard to curate just because of what's available.
16:49Or, you know, the kind of venues, the sound, you know.
16:53And just, it's really expensive, like, doing up these type of things.
16:58But I also think it's great because, like, you know, so many times when, you know, artists back home become so successful,
17:04you know, you're taking your music everywhere around the world that you always have to remember to, like, take it back home, too,
17:10and making that effort.
17:11Yeah, like, to be honest, Africa has always been on my list for every tour.
17:16It's just when we try, we run into obstacles that then prevent us from succeeding in doing, like, a full-blown show.
17:24So I think that's what it is. I did a show in Nigeria, but I want to do more.
17:29It's just I want to do it right, you know, and so we just keep trying until we get it right.
17:35Obviously, I feel like the crowd would go crazy when you perform Love Me, Ja Ja.
17:39And it's incredible that it, you know, won you your second Grammy.
17:49You're the second ever winner in the best African music performance category specifically.
17:53Tell me about what was going through your head right before your name was called,
17:56the moment when you got upstage and accepted it, and then, like, once you left.
18:00How are you feeling?
18:01Well, I think I was just a bit nervous because my mom was there.
18:06It was really my mom's day because even when I was sitting down, I was just thinking about my mom.
18:11Like, when my mom is around, I'm just thinking about taking care of her and if she's okay.
18:16And I was like, wow, haha, how funny would it be? I broke my mom all this way.
18:22But, you know, I thought to myself, you know what, like, it's cool. We're here together.
18:28My mom's here. Everybody's here. This is a beautiful moment.
18:31And I'm just, whatever happens, I'm gonna cherish it.
18:35I was convincing myself so hard. I was like, yeah, it's probably not me anyway.
18:39So, like, it might be me. It's probably me, but it's also probably not me at the same time.
18:43Like, who even cares?
18:45And then they called my name and we sat so far because I was going to leave.
18:49And I was like, let me just sit at the back. If they don't call me, I'll just quickly leave and thank you very much, you know.
18:56So, I had to run to the stage.
18:59I was like, why did you sit so far?
19:02But, yeah, it was fun. It was a great day.
19:06And to bring your mom up on stage, too, is incredible.
19:08Oh, yeah. That day, I just remember my mom being happy.
19:12It gave me so much joy. I was like, I want to do this every time.
19:16Anything that is going to make my mom smile this way, I'm doing that, you know. That's me.
19:23That was a real prize at the end of the day.
19:25That's my prize. Like, people calling her and her feeling like a bride and feeling just, like, proud.
19:34And, you know, she saw Will Smith and she was like, Will Smith, wow!
19:41Did he turn around?
19:43No, he was sitting at a table.
19:44Oh, okay.
19:45So, he was like, hey, nice to meet you. He was talking to her. She was like, whoa, Will Smith.
19:51So, just giving her that experience was amazing.
19:56Did they take a photo?
19:57Oh, I wish they did.
20:00I don't know why it's always these important moments that your phone dies.
20:04Oh, that's the worst.
20:05Like, literally. But, no, they didn't.
20:08My mom is what she was too shy to ask. I forgot, to be honest.
20:11Well, she'll always have that memory anyway.
20:14She would always have that memory.
20:16I don't know if you saw this, but there was a video interview that Sae Sodimu did in the 2004 Grammys, actually.
20:30And he was talking about his original Love Me Jeje and how he tried bringing the song to, like, different U.S. labels to market it.
20:36But, like, they said he looked American, but he sounded African.
20:40So, they were all just kind of, like, blowing him off.
20:43When you think about the position that you're in, you know, an African artist signed to U.S. label, what obstacles have you and your team had to tackle?
20:52And, like, do you feel like what he's saying, like, in the trouble that he experienced, is that still happening or have things gotten better?
20:59I mean, Afrobeats has, you know, it's taking off.
21:04I think a lot of African artists, a lot of Afrobeats artists and other artists from other countries are taking off.
21:13So, I think it's cool to sound African now.
21:16I think the only thing is there's a perception of Africans that people might have that might lead to certain types of treatment.
21:26Especially if you look a certain way, not necessarily, like, black or anything.
21:31I mean, your brand, how you present yourself.
21:35I think the common misconception, business-wise, is that Africans don't really know what they're doing or they're not, you know, business savvy.
21:46And they always get surprised when, like, we kind of come very correct.
21:51And this is, to be honest, not just in music. It's in business in general.
21:56I think people kind of underestimate your intelligence and try and, like, swindle you or do certain things.
22:05Yeah, no, I mean, that's very true. And like you said, like, not just specific to the music industry as well.
22:10Yes, it's a business-wise. And I think how someone really feels about you, it comes out when they give you a contract.
22:18And what's on the contract. And if someone really respects you, they wouldn't give you a contract.
22:23That kind of, like, steals everything you've ever owned. Or at least they give you respect that, you know what?
22:30This is a business transaction. This is not, like, a slave deal.
22:34Switching gears, like I mentioned earlier, you're one of the owners of the San Diego FC soccer team.
22:40What about buying into a soccer team initially intrigued you? And why specifically San Diego FC?
22:45Football in Africa is, like, a big thing.
22:48I always wondered about women, like, just being able to be in the business of it.
22:54Because it's a man's world, you know? It seems very, like, male-dominated.
22:59And I'm just really fortunate that the opportunity to invest in San Diego came my way.
23:06And I was like, yes. You know, like, this is definitely something that I never thought was possible.
23:14You know, especially as a woman, as an African woman, on top of that, to be on this scale.
23:21You know, if I have the means, I would definitely want to be involved.
23:26And they're so family-oriented as well. They don't just take anyone, you know?
23:30They have to want to align with your brand.
23:33And when I heard everything that they said to me, I just felt like, this is where I want to be, you know?
23:41I wrote up another exciting accomplishment that you had recently.
23:53You were the first African woman to hit one billion Spotify streams with Wait For You.
23:58Right.
23:59Which is insane.
24:00Okay.
24:01Where were you when you found that out?
24:03I don't know. It's very also possible that I'm just learning of this.
24:09I'm very, like, scatterbrained sometimes, so I'm just, but it feels good to hear, to know that and to, you know, be able to do this on this scale.
24:24I think my life is a dream, you know?
24:27I think because I'm so hyper aware of it, because I've done so much reporting just within the last month of every, like, first you've broken.
24:34Wow.
24:35From the Spotify record to first, you know, African woman to be a part of MLS ownership and first Nigerian artist to win two Grammys.
24:43Wow.
24:44I feel like, obviously, these aren't things that you are, like, striving for, like, I'm trying to hit these specific marks.
24:50Does it feel more like, you know, kind of a ripple effect? Like, you're just like, okay, that's cool. Like, that wasn't always the intention. Like, these weren't on the, like, mood board or the wish list. It was just like, I want to make music. And then these are the results, you know?
25:05Yeah, in a way, I think, yes, I'm more concerned with the creation of the art than the acknowledgement, you know, because that's subjective. But I also feel blessed to be acknowledged, you know, not just for me, but for everybody that has been a part of my journey.
25:27I think this is, it means something to them as well, you know, for the people that worked on my album, the people that have been on my team since we started, I think these pivotal moments where we win something big, it reminds us of, like, this is another phase we're entering, another season we're entering.
25:47And I think of that as how I measure our journey, like, all the things we've been through together.
25:54Because you, like, are so in love with the creation of the music, have you been creating more music since Born in the Wild? And can we expect to hear it anytime soon?
26:04Or are you in the phase of holding it close to the chest first?
26:07Possibly. I mean, yeah, I'm always making music. There are things I've made now that I'm really excited about that sound nothing like, like the Born in the Wild.
26:16Like the Born in the Wild phase, I'm working on it, you know, it's coming.
26:20Is there like a project that we can expect? Is it like the sophomore album or is it, you know, EP mixtape, like?
26:29We have to see where the wind blows.
26:33Okay.
26:35But I'm not sure, I can't say.
26:37Yeah.
26:38But it's going to be good. And it's definitely, I think this year, possibly. Maybe.
26:47What other goals do you have for your career moving forward?
26:58I definitely want to diversify and try new ways of applying my music, you know, whether it's in like film, whether it's in other industries.
27:09I definitely want to try, like seeing how I can contribute in those fields.
27:15I really want to give musically.
27:18That's where my goal is. It's just the experience that I'm giving, the experience that I'm sharing with the world.
27:25I have a certain vision for it, which is hard to describe in words.
27:30But it's just that vision that has been on my mind in terms of where I want to get to.
27:35I don't think in the same way that a lot of people do.
27:38I'm just a very like, where's my heart person. And that's where my heart is.
27:44When you said like, you know, diversifying where you can hear your music and you mentioned film.
27:50Have you ever envisioned yourself being in film and like being in front of the camera?
27:56Oh, yes. I really want to do that, actually.
28:03Yeah. But I actually was talking about like scoring movies and being a composer and being a curator of music for films.
28:15But I do want to be in the front of the camera. I don't know how that's going to be, but we'll see.
28:21Well, thank you again, Thames, for everything.
28:24I love every time that we get to chat. So, you know, fourth interview, maybe so many more interviews to come.
28:31Yeah, exactly. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you.
28:35Of course.