Nigerian singer and songwriter, Tems, has received a nod by TIME magazine as a leading voice in the international music industry.
Born Temilade Openiyi, the music star was named as one of the people “who have achieved peak influence in their fields” in the 2023 TIME’s Next 100 list published on Wednesday.
Writing for the magazine, Grammy-winning singer, Mary J. Blige, compared Tems to legendary musician, Nina Simone, because they both “sing with emotion and conviction”.
Blige also expressed hope that Tems will one day become one of the biggest artistes of her time.
“Tems is in a class all by herself because no other artist sounds like her. That voice is so unique and original, so much so that it reminds me of the first time I heard Nina Simone. They both sing with emotion and conviction, making you feel every word they sing.
“Tems is in a class all by herself because no other artist sounds like her. That voice is so unique and original, so much so that it reminds me of the first time I heard Nina Simone. They both sing with emotion and conviction, making you feel every word they sing.
Another Nigerian tech founder, Wemimo Abbey made the list alongside co-founder Samir Goel, for their startup, Esusu, which helps immigrants “build credit in America by reporting tenants’ on-time rent payments to credit bureaus.”
Abbey and Goel also expressed their commitment to broadening the company’s financial services in order “to help reduce the racial wealth gap”.
