Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has made history as the first African female artiste to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify.
She achieved this milestone through her contribution to Future’s hit song ‘Wait For U’, which also features Canadian rapper Drake.
Released in May 2022, the track samples Tems’ song Higher and has gained widespread global recognition.
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With this achievement, Tems joins an elite group of African artistes who have reached the 1 billion streaming mark on Spotify.
Burna Boy and Wizkid are the only other Nigerian artistes to have crossed this threshold.
Beyond streaming success, Wait For U made history by debuting at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making Tems the first Nigerian female artiste to feature on a chart-topping single.
Tems’ achievements have also been recognised with major awards.
She won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Wait For U” in 2023 and has received multiple Headies nominations.
Most recently, she won the Best African Song Performance award at the 67th Grammys, leading the Nigerian contingent with three nominations.
She secured the win for her single “Love Me Jeje” in a competitive category featuring some of Nigeria’s biggest artistes.
