Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed that she was uncomfortable with fame despite wanting to achieve success in music.
Speaking on an episode of The Boost Podcast, Tems said she initially tried to hide her identity from fans because she did not want to be in the spotlight.
The singer explained that she wanted to maintain her “secret life” while pursuing her music career.
She recalled encounters with fans at airports, saying she would deny being Tems because she was afraid of the attention that came with fame.
“I would go to the airport and people say, ‘You’re Tems.’ I will 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.
Tems said she eventually began adjusting to fame after it became impossible for her to remain anonymous.
She quit her job as a digital marketer in 2018 to pursue music full-time and released her debut single, “Mr Rebel,” that same year.
She gained wider recognition after featuring on Wizkid’s 2020 hit single, “Essence.”
