Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, has opened up about the challenges she faced when she started her music journey.
Speaking in a recent interview with CNN, the 30-year-old singer shared how difficult it was for people to take her seriously in the early days of her career.
Tems said that during her early years, she felt invisible and lacked the support she needed to move forward.
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“It was really hard to get people to take me seriously, not just as a producer, but as a singer. I didn’t feel safe, I didn’t feel seen, and I didn’t feel supported for a very long time,” she said.
The Free Mind crooner also spoke about the importance of staying true to herself, saying that authenticity is the foundation of her music and life.
“Authenticity is everything to me. That’s the only thing I cannot compromise on because that’s all I have — who I really am,” Tems added.
She went on to talk about her project called The Leading Vibe, which aims to empower women who work behind the scenes in the music industry.
According to her, the initiative was inspired by her own experience of being overlooked and excluded when she started out.
“There are so many talented women who can be producers, managers, or sound engineers, but they’re not even visible. I want to make them visible and redefine the narrative of women in music,” she explained.
Tems revealed that she plans to expand the project beyond Nigeria, with Kenya being the next country on the list.
“There are women everywhere who just need to be seen. All they need is that chance, and I believe it’s going to change the shape of the music industry,” she said.