Two-time Grammy Award-winning artist Tems has never been one to bow to the pressures of the music industry and she’s determined to change it from within.
Speaking to the BBC, the Nigerian singer revealed that, at the start of her career, she struggled to be taken seriously in a male-dominated space where “there’s always a cost” for women trying to make it.
“I realised there’s always a price you pay,” Tems said. “A lot of those prices I wasn’t willing to pay. And there weren’t a lot of options.”
Her defiance has paid off. Refusing to compromise her sound, style, or identity, Tems says authenticity and audacity are the cornerstones of her success. “If it meant me not being signed, I was okay with that,” she said. “I went to a couple of places that didn’t sign me and I was okay with it.”
Earlier this year, the singer confronted a wave of online body-shaming after a performance video went viral. Her response was unflinching: “It’s just a body. The more you don’t like my body the better for me actually.”
Now, Tems is broadening her influence beyond music. A passionate football fan, she recently became part-owner of US football club San Diego FC, joining forces with Pave Investments l, a West African private investment firm that has backed ventures like the NBA-linked African Basketball League.
“I never imagined myself owning any football team,” she admitted. “But it’s about showing people they can try things nobody ever thought possible.”
Her ambitions extend to reshaping the future of women in music. Through her new platform, The Leading Vibe Initiative, Tems aims to provide opportunities for young women in Africa’s music industries, helping them build strong brands, set boundaries, and focus on their craft.
“I want to change the way women see themselves in music,” she said. “It’s important to know what you want, what your brand is, and the things you wouldn’t do for fame.”
Afropop may have gone global, but Tems knows the industry’s deep-rooted gender imbalance will take more than success stories to dismantle.
