Nigerian singer and songwriter, Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, has revealed the reason for delaying the release of her debut album, “Born in the Wild” is related to her recent ill health.
Speaking in an interview with the New York Times, Tems disclosed that the album was initially scheduled for release in 2021, but was postponed due to a serious illness that forced her into surgery and six months of recovery. She, however, refused to specify the type of illness she was suffering from for reasons best known to her.
The “Me and You” hitmaker then decided to release an extended play (EP) dubbed, “If Orange Was a Place” as compensation to her fans. “If Orange Was a Place” EP follows “For Broken Ears” EP which was released in 2020.
The Grammy Award-winning musician claimed that the process of recovering from her illness served as inspiration for some of her new songs, which were about accepting life as a warrior.
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“Being a warrior is about not giving up,” she said. “Even if they cut your leg, you walk on your knees, you fight on your knees using what you have, and that’s good enough,” she said.
The new album, “Born In The Wild’ is set to be released on June 7, 2024. Despite the initial delay of the album, Tems has released three off the album, including singles “Me & U”, “Not an Angel”, and “Love Me JeJe”.
She will also headline her own world tour on June 11, 2024.
Tems began her music career in 2018 by learning to produce on YouTube after leaving her job. She released her first self-produced song “Mr Rebel” followed by “Try Me” in 2019.
She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid’s “Essence” in 2020. She won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance after rapper, Future, sampled her vocals for his song “Wait for You” featuring Drake. She also co-wrote Rihanna’s song “Lift Me Up,” which received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song. Tems currently has a total of 37 awards under her belt.
