Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems has shared a deeply personal account of the struggles she faced as a young artist trying to find her voice.
In a recent interview, the award-winning songwriter revealed how unwanted attention and misconceptions affected her confidence and shaped her early journey. Moreover, she explained how she had to adjust her appearance and mindset to stay focused on her craft.
The Tems music industry challenges story has resonated with many aspiring artists.
Tems disclosed that during her early studio sessions, she often went alone to meet producers and collaborators she barely knew. She was determined to grow her skills and learn music production. However, she found herself dealing with distractions that had nothing to do with her talent.
“I used to not always like my body, crazy as it seems, but I just didn’t understand a lot of things,” she said.
She described messaging producers directly and showing up ready to work. “I was going to a lot of studios alone, meeting people I have never met, people we don’t know each other. I’ll message people and tell them I’ve been working on this, I want to share this because I know I have something. I wanted to learn how to produce because of my objectives, which is I just want to make music. I don’t really care about politics or anything here, I just want to learn.”
Meanwhile, Tems developed a strategy to protect her focus. She said she began wearing loose clothing and adopting what she called an “alpha mood.” This approach was intended to reduce distractions and signal her seriousness.
“If me being attractive is disturbing you and stopping me from achieving my goal, I’m going to help you. So when I go to the studio, I wear baggy clothes and I’m in my alpha mood because I want you to not be seduced by me… but most of the time it works because they can tell she’s just here to work and we work.”
Furthermore, she noted that staying focused allowed her to build a sound that stood out in Nigeria’s music scene. “It’s unheard of to do this type of music as a Nigerian in Nigeria,” she said.
The Tems music industry challenges narrative highlights the realities many female artists face.
