Grammy-winning singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has opened up about her early struggles with fame.
Speaking on an episode of The Boost Podcast, the singer said that although she wanted success in music, she wasn’t ready for the spotlight that came with it.
Tems revealed that she often denied her identity in public to protect her privacy.
‘I would go to the airport, and people would say, ‘You’re Tems.’ I would be like, ‘No, I’m not Tems.’ I was so afraid. I wanted to continue my secret life, and I was like, ‘God, please, I don’t want to be in the spotlight,” she said.
According to her, she eventually had to embrace fame when she could no longer hide.
Tems quit her job as a digital marketer in 2018 to pursue music full-time, releasing her debut single ‘Mr Rebel’ that same year.
She gained global recognition after featuring on Wizkid’s 2020 hit single ‘Essence.’