I Started Making Music Because Of My Introverted Nature And Lack Of Friends – Tems

Popular singer, Tems has come out to reveal that she was bullied growing up because of the tone of her voice.

She recently had her say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to her, she began making music because of her introverted nature and lack of friends, and that is why her songs are meant for people who can relate to her experiences and emotions.

Tems added that because her voice wasn’t like other girls, she was very self-conscious as a child.

Her words, “I WAS BULLIED TO THE POINT OF TEARS AND WAS A TARGET OF RIDICULE. THIS LED TO THE BELIEF THAT I SOUNDED LIKE A BOY, OR A FROG, WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT MY VOICE WAS UGLY.

I WAS ALWAYS IN MY LITTLE WORLD. WHEN I DID MAKE FRIENDS, I WOULD TRY TO MAKE THEM SING MY SONGS, AND OTHER GIRLS HAD THESE SWEET, HIGH VOICES AND MY VOICE HAD A BASS.”

WOW.

Temilade Openiyi (born 11 June 1995), known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid’s 2020 single “Essence”, which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song “Fountains” by Drake.

Temilade Openiyi was born on 11 June 1995, in Lagos, Nigeria, and when she was an infant, her family relocated to the UK; however, when she was five years old, her family returned to Nigeria following her parents’ separation.

Tems resided in Ilupeju before moving to Lekki and later Ajah. Tems attended Dowen College for her secondary education and Monash South Africa for her tertiary education. At school, she was noticed by her music teacher and learned to play the piano. She practised singing with her brother and often used his guitar accompaniment.