Tems – Winter 2022
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“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m like this today…” Tems confesses with an awkward giggle. What she’s referring to is the spirit of evangelism that seems to take over her during our call. Within minutes of getting on the phone, she’s instructed me not to truncate my name from ‘Solomon’ to ‘Sol’ because “if you have a king’s name, you mustn’t shorten it,” declared that the secret to happiness is submitting yourself to God, and stated that “Seek God first” is the best advice she’s ever been given. “I became Tems after that,” the 30-year-old Nigerian singer reflects.
Given that Tems’ warm and earthy vocal tones have captivated listeners around the world in the six years since her breakout feature on Wizkid’s “Essence” in 2020, these aren’t words to be taken lightly. Over the years, the alté pioneer has transformed from a self-described “quiet child” whose only dream was to be heard, to shattering records in every direction. With her feature on Future’s 2022 single “With U”, she became the first Nigerian artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 100, and in 2025 she became the first female African artist to accumulate over one billion streams. Most recently, she topped charts once more with Dave collab “Raindance”, presented at the Brits, and was named Hennessy’s latest brand ambassador. Whatever Tems is doing, it’s working.
Below, Tems takes the dA-Zed quiz and shares her thoughts on self-care, self-love and the secret to happiness.
A IS FOR… ADVICE. WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
The best advice I’ve ever been given is ‘Seek God first’. I read it in the Bible. Seek the Kingdom of God first and all things will be made available to you. When I started doing that, my life became a whole lot better and I became Tems, because I wasn’t Tems before that.
B IS FOR… BIRTHPLACE. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Lagos.
C IS FOR… COCKTAIL. WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO SIP?
Depends on the vibe, but I’ve heard Hennessy neat or over ice goes down really well.
D IS FOR… DREAM. WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM?
My childhood dream was to be seen and to be heard, as I was a quiet child.
E IS FOR… ENDGAME. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL?
My ultimate goal is to be transformed by the renewal of my mind and to become the kind of person that inspires others to also leave the world behind… sorry, I’m a bit charged up today. It’s only God that can transform you, and what that really means is just acknowledging that you and I are flawed. It’s not changing myself by, like, reading self-help books, but just allowing things to flow how they were meant to flow, and by submitting myself to allow that change to happen.
I actually think that’s the secret to finding happiness because, you know, nothing truly makes you happy. King Solomon wrote a book called Ecclesiastes, and he said, ‘Everything is meaningless’. That’s the richest person who’s ever lived. What is something that would make you feel really fulfilled, not just for a month, but a lifetime? That’s a question people should think about, and I can’t give you the answer.
F IS FOR… FOR YOU PAGE. WHAT’S ON YOUR FYP RIGHT NOW?
My for you page is a lot of people talking about God, and cats and dogs.
G IS FOR… GROWTH. HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?
Well, I think I’m a bit more outgoing, and I’m a bit less hesitant to speak my true mind.
H IS FOR… HOBBY. DO YOU HAVE A NICHE HOBBY?
I actually am a tea connoisseur, and I make my own perfume, because I don’t like to smell like anyone else. I mix the raw ingredients and make my own tea. That’s my way of enjoying life – finding things that help me feel creative. I also like crocheting tops.
I IS FOR… INTERNET. WHERE DO YOU SPEND THE MOST TIME ONLINE?
I like Pinterest a lot, but TikTok also… although my TikTok usage is quite low because I always throw my phone away. But when I do find my phone again, I always find myself going back to TikTok. It’s not great. I’m not addicted to TikTok, but I have the tendency to become addicted. Thou shall not prevail.
J IS FOR… JOKES. WHO MAKES YOU LAUGH MOST IN THE WORLD?
That’s hard. I joke a lot with my friends, when we’re experiencing life and we both know that something that just happened is funny. We laugh in sync. Also, when I talk to my mum, she makes me laugh-cry for like 30 minutes. My mum is actually the funniest.
K IS FOR… KICKBACK. HOW DO YOU RELAX?
Candles, bathtub, calming oils, lavender, rose petals and magnesium – everything that makes you calm. Dim light and soothing music, no voices, just changes in tone. Everybody should indulge in self-care; everyone needs some pampering once in a while.
L IS FOR… LOVE. WHAT’S THE MOST ROMANTIC THING THAT SOMEONE’S EVER DONE FOR YOU?
Well, I don’t know if it’s the most romantic, but yesterday, someone cooked for me when we couldn’t find food. It was a little thing, but it was really, really sweet to see the effort that was being put into trying to make sure that I was fed, even though I’m not sure the person knew what to do. If I say anything more, people might start looking into things.
If you don’t love yourself, you can’t love anybody else. You have to find a way to accept who you are, and then everything will start making sense
M IS FOR… MEME. WHAT’S A MEME YOU REFERENCE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
It’s a sticker that I use often on iMessage – there’s a dog that has a pink Croc [shoe] on its head and it’s looking really awkward. That’s my favourite sticker to use right now.
N IS FOR… NATURE. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL?
I like cheetahs because they’re really big and really fast, but they are actually really endearing to humans. They’re like big house cats. They don’t get enough love.
O IS FOR… OPINION. WHAT IS YOUR MOST CONTROVERSIAL OPINION?
Everybody is equal and everybody’s shy sometimes. So it doesn’t make sense to comment on other people. It’s actually wiser to observe. When you go into the mud, you become dirty too. When people focus on other people’s dirtiness, they forget that they’re also dirty. Life is meant to be observed. Just observe.
P IS FOR… PARTY. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO OUT?
First of all, I can’t tell you my favourite place to go out because I don’t want people to go there. So, I would advise people to go to the arcade once in a while, just go have some fun with your friends.
Q IS FOR… QUOTE. WHAT QUOTE DO YOU LIVE BY?
If you don’t love yourself, you can’t love anybody else. [The Bible] does say: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. You have to find a way to accept who you are, and then everything will start making sense.
R IS FOR… READING. IS THERE A BOOK YOU ALWAYS RETURN TO?
The Bible. [With that] you can’t ever get hurt.
S IS FOR… STYLE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DRESS SENSE?
Delicately dangerous, and classy.
T IS FOR… TV. WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A TV SERIES OF YOUR LIFE?
I don’t think anybody. It’ll just have to be me. Nobody can pretend to be me.
U IS FOR… UNDERRATED. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU THINK IS UNDERRATED?
Introspection.
V IS FOR… VIDEO. WHAT WAS THE LAST VIDEO YOU FILMED ON YOUR PHONE?
I took a video of my friend watching a series, and the expression on her face was so funny. She didn’t know she was doing that face, but she was smiling but also side-eyeing whoever she was watching it with.
W IS FOR… WORLD. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM TRAVEL DESTINATION?
I did like Barbados, I like the islands. I also like Ghana, because it’s peaceful.
X IS FOR… EX. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE TRYING TO GET OVER THEIR EX?
I’m trying to be practical. So, if this is really happening to someone I know, give me your phone. Take one or two days without your phone. Get a Bible, get a journal, write a letter. Pour out all your emotions, everything that you felt, onto this letter. Then, burn it. Then, ask yourself, ‘Who am I?’ Having an ex is already so much to learn from, and, if it didn’t work out, there’s something to learn. Be honest with yourself: What do I like? What do I not like? What part did I have to play? Did I abandon myself? Get deep.
Y IS FOR… YOUNGER SELF. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WOULD TELL YOUR 13-YEAR-OLD SELF?
Everything you’re going through is preparation for where you’re headed. It might seem hard, but enjoy the pain. It gets better.
Z IS FOR… ZZZ. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT?
Recently, I’ve been working out and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, literally. I’ve been doing lagree, which is like a harder form of Pilates, and I’ve been taking long walks. So, that automatically makes me so tired at night that by 10 pm I’m already dozing off, and then I wake up really early, like six. But if somebody is really struggling to sleep – not me – I would recommend reading a book.
