Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, known worldwide as Tems, has reached another major career moment and this time, it is about consistency, not just one big hit.
The Grammy winner now has seven songs that have appeared on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. This makes her the first African woman to reach that number of entries on the chart.
Her latest song, “What You Need,” entered the chart this week at number 93. That new entry pushed her total appearances to seven.
This achievement places her alongside two other African acts like Burna Boy from Nigeria and South African rock band Seether who also have seven songs each on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tems first shook the global music space in 2022 when she became the first African artiste to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She reached that top spot through her collaboration with Future and Drake on “Wait For U.”
Instead of one breakthrough song, Tems has continued to appear on one of the world’s most competitive music charts.
Industry watchers believe she may soon stand alone at the top among African acts. J Cole’s “Bunce Road Blues,” which features Tems and Future, is expected to enter the Billboard Hot 100 next week. If that happens, she will move ahead of Burna Boy and Seether.