Nigerian songstress, Temilade Openiyi, worldwide known as Tems has released her highly anticipated album, and it is one of a kind. Her rise to fame, from the city of Lagos to being a global contender in the music space is fascinating and one that needs to be studied. The album which got released on the 7th of June, 2024 shows how versatile the artist is, and how she is a genius, lyrically. Before releasing this album, Tems served fans with two beautifully crafted EPs; ‘For Broken Ears’ and ‘If Orange was a place’, which were highly received.

Tems’s debut album drops with an 18-track swagger and few featured guests, namely, Asake and J Cole. Although Born in the Wild is a little long, it lives up to Tems’s early promise as a reflective writer who can blend her Nigerian style of Afrobeats and alté with US soul/R&B while maintaining her voice. The album offers a noticeable change in speed that hypnotizes and keeps the listener engaged.

The album is split between music about paving her own path in life and songs about love. The subtle Afrobeats sound that is combined with a traditional R&B sound in the musical tracks as well as the spoken interludes demonstrate the Nigerian singer’s African influence. And talking about African influence, we have two interludes of pep talks from her mother and managers, which makes the album sound so unique.

“Born In The Wild is a story of transformation, from a cocoon to a butterfly,” continuing to explain that the album “speaks on surviving mental wilderness and coming to a place where one can thrive. It’s about finally accepting oneself and embodying the woman I was born to be. It shows the different dimensions of who I am, from a cub to a lioness.”

Tems

The record release is timed in line with Tems’s forthcoming BORN IN THE WILD WORLD TOUR, which will begin in London on June 12 and travel around Europe and North America before finishing on November 15 in Australia. Tour information can be found at https://www.leadingvibe.com/.