Nigerian singer Tems crafts weighty songs that manage to float, with velvety vocals that unfurl through lyrics imbued with emotional depth. They have made her a leader in Nigeria’s alté music movement, which blends Afrobeats, alternative R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall. Born Temilade Openiyi in 1995 in Lagos, the former Apple Music Up Next artist knew she was destined to make music. At age 6, Tems was creating original songs; at 13, she began vocal training. “By the time I was 17, I knew that this was the only thing that I could possibly do in life,” she told Apple Music. In 2018, her first single, the revelatory “Mr Rebel,” was an immediate runaway hit. Her appearance on fellow Nigerian Wizkid’s beloved 2020 single “Essence” increased Tems’ visibility and brought more attention to her debut EP, For Broken Ears. Led by the undulating “Free Mind,” the project cemented Tems as a rising star not only throughout Africa but worldwide. In 2021, she released her follow-up, If Orange Was a Place, which was highlighted by the Brent Faiyaz-assisted “Found.” An emotive guest feature on Future’s 2022 single “Wait for You” has kept Tems in the spotlight—but she remains grounded by her experiences. “At every single point in my life, I’ve had to break out,” she said. “I’ve had to break boundaries completely. Being yourself, it takes more courage than people would imagine.”