Glamsquad Magazine March 2023

REPORTAGE American rap

REPORTAGE American rap superstar Future tapped Canadian super Star Drake and Tems, Future noted that what makes a big part of “Wait For You” is such a special song in Tems’ sultry voice. Tems’ vocals originally appeared on “Higher” from her 2020 debut EP For Broken Ears. Even though she’s sampled on the song, the 27-year-old earned her first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to Future listing her as a feature on “Wait For U.” It’s just her third Hot 100 hit following Wizkid’s “Essence” (No. 15) and Drake’s “Fountains” (No. 26). Not a stranger to international accolades, Tems was the first African female artiste to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Tems bagged two BET Awards, becoming the first Nigerian female to win ‘Best International Act’ at the BET Awards. Tems hit the number 1 spot on the Billboard Charts With a Cover Of “No Woman No Cry.” She also became the first Nigerian artiste with the most Billboard Hot 100 appearances. Tems spontaneity and unique music sound also endeared her to the international sporting company Reebok. The singer got an endorsement deal with the brand less than two months after she got the deal with Tommy Hilfiger. The sportswear brand announced the deal on Monday, January 7, via a campaign tagged “Life is Not a Spectator Sport. According to the campaign director and Senior Director of Marketing Creative & Design at Reebok, Jide Osifeso, the campaign aimed to motivate consumers to follow their passions, celebrate their individuality, and become active participants in the world around them. In addition to this, Tems also bagged a partnership deal with Coca-Cola to take African music to the next stage. For Tems, having achieved a lot in the last five years, without 22 www.glamsquadmagazine.com

REPORTAGE a doubt, the sky is her starting point. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the singer says winning the Grammy was” just the beginning” for her. “It’s incredible. I get to work with people that, five years ago, were on my playlist. You know, I was jamming with them, and now I’m working with them. It’s such a pleasure, and I feel like this is just the beginning,” she says. Speaking to Vogue after her Grammy win, Tems said, “I’ve never been in the same place with so many artists in one space before, People coming together to celebrate work and art.” Tems added that the Grammys carried poignant significance throughout her childhood. “Back in the day, the Grammys were an event,” she says. “So attending the ceremony was a full-circle moment.” Accordingly, “Tems’ Grammy win last weekend is a spell of good things to come for female musicians in the Nigerian music scene. Since the 60s, often dubbed the Golden Era of music in West Africa, women have been underserved, undermined, and underrepresented in the creative space, particularly in show business.” www.glamsquadmagazine.com 23