Rita Odafe
Temilade Openiyi, a globally acclaimed Nigerian singer renowned as Tems, has shared the challenges she faced when leaving her job in digital marketing to chase her passion for music.
In a recent discussion with Billboard, the artist behind the hit ‘Love Me Jeje’ spoke about the uncertainties surrounding her decision to leave her job. She emphasized that although she felt apprehensive, she had faith in a higher purpose, recognizing that digital marketing wasn’t her true calling.
After resigning, she took about six months before debuting her first single, ‘Mr Rabel,’ which began to gain popularity.
She remarked, “I left my job in digital marketing because I reached a breaking point. It became increasingly clear to me that the moment had arrived – I had to act. I kept delaying my decision until I found confidence that God would guide me on my journey.
“I resigned in January 2018, and then I released ‘Mr Rabel’ about six or seven months later. On a spiritual level, I understood that marketing wasn’t my true direction, and I needed to leave immediately. It felt critical, almost life-threatening. It was clear that this decision could either fulfill or hinder my destiny, so I made the jump, and it paid off.”
Tems rose to fame after collaborating with Wizkid on the 2020 international success ‘Essence,’ which reached No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2022, she made history as the first African artist to debut at No.1 on the Billboard HOT 100 chart with Future’s track ‘Wait 4 U,’ featuring Drake. The song later won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap the following year.
In February 2025, Tems earned her second Grammy for her track ‘Love Me Jeje,’ winning Best African Music Performance.
