By Abu Hassan
Lagos, Nigeria – Two-time Grammy award-winning Nigerian Afropop star Tems has candidly stated that “people don’t really respect women” in the music industry, a sentiment she is now actively addressing through a new empowerment initiative aimed at levelling the playing field for aspiring female artists across Africa.
Speaking to the BBC, the “Free Mind” hitmaker revealed that at the onset of her burgeoning career, she struggled significantly to be taken seriously. “I realized 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,” Tems explained.
Her comments come against the backdrop of Afropop’s immense global surge in popularity over the last decade, a period during which the industry has remained notoriously male-dominated. The genre’s commercial giants, often referred to as the “Big Three”—Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid—are all male, while prominent female counterparts like Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade have consistently spoken out about the gender-based barriers they encounter.
Tems herself experienced this firsthand earlier this year when she faced a barrage of negative comments online regarding her body after a performance video circulated on X (formerly Twitter). Responding with characteristic defiance, 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.”
Driven by a desire to “change the way women see themselves in music,” Tems has launched “The Leading Vibe Initiative.” This pioneering project is designed to create opportunities for young women throughout Africa’s music industries.
“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,” Tems affirmed.
The initiative successfully kicked off on Friday in Tems’ hometown of Lagos. Emerging vocalists, songwriters, and producers were invited to a series of intensive workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions, all geared towards developing their skills and fostering vital industry connections.
When asked for advice for young women aspiring to break into the music scene, Tems emphasized the importance of self-awareness and integrity. “I think it’s important to have an idea of what you want for yourself, what your brand is, what’s your boundary,” she advised. “What are the things that you wouldn’t do for fame and the things that you would do?”
Tems, whose hits include “Love Me Jeje” and an array of acclaimed collaborations, stressed that true passion for the craft is paramount. “It’s not everybody that sings that loves music. If I wasn’t famous, I would still be doing music. I would be in some kind of jazz club… randomly on a Friday night,” she mused.
Her own journey is a testament to this conviction. Just five years after her debut EP, Tems has amassed over 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify, collaborated with global icons like Beyoncé and Rihanna, and headlined major international festivals. Next month, she is set to support British rock band Coldplay during their sold-out residency at the iconic Wembley Stadium in the UK.
Tems credits her stratospheric rise to maintaining her “authenticity” and being “audacious.” “Even when people tell you to change your sound, change your style, you look at them and you say: ‘No’,” she recounted. “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.”
Beyond her advocacy and musical triumphs, Tems is also expanding her influence into new territories. An avid football fan, she recently became a part-owner of the US football club San Diego FC, in partnership with Pave Investments, a West African private investment firm. This move, she believes, will inspire others to “be bold enough to try things that nobody ever thought was possible.”
“I don’t see myself as just a singer, just a musician, just an artist. I’m much more than that,” Tems declared, embodying the very vision of empowerment she champions for women in the music industry.
