Tems Becomes First Female African Artist to Reach 1 Billion Spotify Streams
Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has set a new record as the first female African artist to have a song surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify.
The milestone was achieved through her 2022 hit collaboration, Wait For U, featuring Future and Drake. The track, which samples Tems’ song Higher from her 2020 EP, For Broken Ears, became a global success upon its release.
Wait For U made history by debuting at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making Tems the first African artist to achieve that feat. The song also earned two nominations at the 65th Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Melodic Rap Performance, winning the latter.
This latest achievement further cements Tems’ status as one of Africa’s most successful and influential artists on the global stage.
