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Why I chose not to do Afrobeats – Tems
Renowned Nigerian artist Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, has revealed her resolute readiness to confront significant consequences when she transitioned from the country’s prominent music genre, Afrobeats, to pursue R&B.
Tems expressed that at the time she decided to diverge from Afrobeats, her self-confidence was so unwavering that she remained unfazed even if she didn’t achieve any notable recognition.
During a conversation with American rapper Kendrick Lamar, featured in the latest edition of Interview Magazine, the singer behind the hit “Try” shared that her primary motivation was to convey a message. She emphasized that even if her music reached only a small audience of 10 people, that impact was all that mattered to her.
Tems said; “I was prepared to die. I believed in myself so much that I didn’t really care if I never became anything or anyone. I just wanted to get a message out. I wanted to get my frequency out. And I was like, ‘Even if ten people hear this, it’s fine.’
But also along the way, I used to listen to a lot of Nigerian music and I wasn’t getting a lot of spiritual—I love Celine Dion, so, I love that intense feeling of, I’m about to jump off a cliff. That’s how I want my music to feel all the time, and Afrobeats wasn’t necessarily giving me that type of stimulation.”
The songstress recalled how everyone she asked for advice back then, urged her to do afrobeats, saying; “The only way you can do this is Afrobeats. It’s not that your music is bad, it’s just that it doesn’t fit in Nigeria. Nigerians don’t like this.”
The Grammy-winning singer said she refused to give up because money was not her goal. She added that she is “chasing a frequency.”