Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has become the first African female artiste to record seven entries on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart.
She reached the mark after her song, What You Need, debuted at No. 93 on this week’s Hot 100, taking her total entries on the chart to seven.
With the milestone, Tems now shares the African record for most Hot 100 entries with fellow Nigerian star Burna Boy and South African rock band Seether, who have also recorded seven entries each.
Tems first drew major global attention on the charts in 2022 when Future’s Wait For U featuring Drake and Tems debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Burna Boy, born Damini Ogulu, previously hit the seven entry mark in 2025 after collaborations and solo records that pushed him onto the chart in multiple years, including Loved By You with Justin Bieber in 2021 and his 2022 solo hit Last Last, which peaked at No. 44.
Beyond the music charts, Tems and Burna Boy have also built reputations as global culture exports, turning up at major fashion and entertainment events that rarely feature Nigerian stars.
That visibility showed clearly at the 2023 Met Gala in New York.
In 2023, Tems and Burna Boy attended the Met Gala, becoming two of the first Nigerian music stars to step onto the red carpet of the high-profile fundraiser.
The Met Gala, also known as the Met Ball, is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City, widely regarded as one of fashion’s biggest nights.
Each year comes with a theme that shapes what guests wear and how designers interpret the moment.
The 2023 edition carried the theme Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, held in honour of the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who worked with fashion houses such as Chanel, Fendi, and Chloé.
Lagerfeld, known for his dark glasses and sharp personal style, died on February 19, 2019, aged 85.
At the gala, Burna Boy wore a custom blue and black outfit by Burberry, styled with a regal feel that matched the night’s high fashion energy.
Tems also drew attention in a Robert Wun dress, with styling credited to her stylist, Dunsin Wright, and fashion researcher, Kim Russell, building on the fashion conversations she sparked earlier in 2023.
The event was co-hosted by stars including Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Vogue’s Anna Wintour, with a packed guest list of actors, musicians, athletes, and fashion figures.
The Met Gala remains one of the most exclusive events in entertainment, with attendance tightly controlled and invitations curated by Vogue’s leadership.
Reports have said tickets cost tens of thousands of dollars, with tables running far higher, while proceeds support the Costume Institute, which funds itself through donations and fundraising.
