Tems Urges Global Audience to Visit Lagos and Ghana Before Judging Africa
Wafric News – May 11, 2025
Tems, Nigeria’s Grammy-winning vocalist and one of Africa’s most resonant creative voices, has urged the international community to experience Lagos and Ghana firsthand before forming assumptions about the African continent.
Tems, Nigeria’s Grammy-winning vocalist and one of Africa’s most resonant creative voices, has urged the international community to experience Lagos and Ghana firsthand before forming assumptions about the African continent.
Speaking to Fashion Bomb Daily on the red carpet of the 2025 Met Gala in New York, the acclaimed singer emphasized the power of personal experience over secondhand stereotypes.
“I always encourage people to go to Lagos and Ghana for vacation,” Tems said. “Just go and see for yourself before you make an opinion [about Africa]. See it for yourself and see how you feel.”
The Lagos-born artist, best known for her distinctive blend of Afrobeats, R&B, and soul, highlighted the richness of African life beyond the narrow lens through which it's often viewed. “The beauty is in the creativity, the daily efforts, the looks, the songs, the traditions and the cultures,” she added.
Redefining the Global Soundscape
Tems also took the opportunity to challenge the global pigeonholing of African music. While Afrobeats has captured international ears, she stressed that Africa’s sonic landscape is far more expansive.
“We can go further in every single aspect of sound,” she said. “We are not just Afrobeats. There is Amapiano, Afrosoul, Afro Jazz, R&B—so many genres that people haven’t fully explored yet.”
Her comments come at a time when African music is enjoying increasing global recognition, though often through a simplified lens. Tems' own work, including her debut album Born In The Wild, pushes these boundaries with genre-bending depth and poetic storytelling.
Tems, Ayra Starr, and the New African Wave
Tems’ global footprint continues to expand. She recently earned two nominations at the 2025 BET Awards in the BET Her category for her stirring tracks “Burning” and “Hold On.”
Fellow Nigerian star Ayra Starr led the African nominations this year, securing three nods including Best Female R&B/Pop Artist. Heavyweights like Burna Boy, Rema, and Shallipopi also made the list, alongside continental talents such as Tyla and Uncle Waffles from South Africa, Black Sherif from Ghana, and Abigail Chams from Tanzania.
Tems' voice in this moment is more than musical—it’s a reminder to the world that Africa is not an idea to be observed from afar, but a living, breathing experience worth encountering on its own terms.
By WafricNews Desk.
By WafricNews Desk.
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