4th June, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has said Nigerians do not understand her music.
She said she is unsure if her compatriots appreciate her music but feels appreciated as a person by Nigerians.
The Oscar-nominated musician stated this in the teaser of the upcoming episode of ‘Flow with Korty.’
“Nigerians don’t understand my music, I don’t know if they appreciate my music but I feel appreciated as a person by Nigerians,” she said.
“It is unheard of to do my type of music as a Nigerian in Nigeria.”
Tems also said she is not interested in being a sex symbol, stressing that she is in the music industry to “work.”
The R&B crooner said, “I used to not always like my body. If my being attractive is disturbing you, I will help you. So I go to studios in baggy clothes and my alpha mode, I want you not to be seduced by me.”
Tems recently unveiled the tracklist for her highly anticipated debut album titled ‘Born In The Wild’, scheduled to be released on June 7.
In the 18-track album, Tems enlists Asake, the Afrobeats star, and J. Cole, the US rapper.
The tracks in the album consist of ‘Born In The Wild’, ‘Special Baby’, ‘Burning’, ‘Wickedest’, ‘Love Me Jeje’, ‘Get It Right’, ‘Ready’, and ‘Gangsta’.
Other tracks are ‘Unfortunate’, ‘Boy o Boy’, ‘Forever’, ‘Free Fall’, ‘Voices In My Head’, ‘Turn Me Up’, ‘Me & U’, ‘T-Unit’, ‘You In My Face’, and ‘Hold On’.
Tems had previously put out two songs off the album — ‘Me & U’ and ‘Love Me Jeje’.
The singer released her self-produced debut single ‘Mr Rebel’ in 2018 and then followed it with ‘Try Me’, her 2019 hit song.
Tems had earlier revealed how a “serious illness” forced her to delay the release of her debut album.