THE INSPIRATIONAL R&B STAR YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW
Temilade Openiyi, better known as Nigerian singer, songwriter and self-taught producer TEMS, broke onto the scene in 2018 with her hit single “Mr Rebel.” The Lagos-born artist actually taught herself how to produce (via YouTube) just to release the track, which highlights her unique, soothing sound built on an Afrobeats foundation. “Me releasing my first song is me believing in myself,” she says. Since then, betting on her talent has paid off. TEMS has become a Grammy-nominated rising star, carving out space for herself on the global music stage. Her fresh take on R&B even caught the attention of Tommy Jeans, a brand known for its legacy of outfitting icons from ’90s hip-hop, rap, and R&B culture. Tommy Jeans recently cast TEMS in its new “Play To Progress” campaign, where she can be seen rocking the Reversible Chicago Windbreaker (available in the US in May). Even better, “Vibe Out,” a track from her If Orange Was A Place EP, serves as the campaign’s soundtrack.
With ‘Play to Progress,’ Tommy Jeans is highlighting creators who give themselves the license and freedom to innovate and inspire positive creative change in others, exactly the kind of legacy TEMS hopes to leave for younger artists. “In general, I know that I'm going to open so many doors for African music,” she says. “[I want to] encourage as many people as I can while I'm here and be a support, a coach to anyone that needs me.” With that in mind, we recently caught up with TEMS to chat on the set of a Tommy Jeans shoot in London, where the star went deep, talking about being a role model, her hidden rap talent, and everything in between.
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