Tems Shares the Profession She Would Have Pursued If Music Didn’t Take Off

Afrobeats sensation Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has opened up about the path her life might have taken if she never ventured into the music industry.

During a Q&A session with fans on X on Tuesday, a follower asked the Grammy-winning singer what career she might have chosen had her musical journey not worked out. Tems explained that she has always had a strong affinity for numbers and academics, noting that she would probably have ended up in a more traditional, education- or finance-related field. According to her, “I might have been an accountant or a mathematics teacher.”

Tems has often reflected on her switch to full-time music. Before pursuing her artistry wholeheartedly, she worked in digital marketing but resigned in January 2018 so she could fully commit to building a music career.

She released her first single, Mr Rebel, in July 2018, which helped her gain early traction in Nigeria’s alternative music space. Her global breakthrough arrived in 2020 through her standout contribution to Wizkid’s smash hit Essence, a track that later soared to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a remix featuring Justin Bieber.

Since then, Tems has cemented her status as one of Nigeria’s most internationally acclaimed voices, consistently expanding her influence on the global music scene.