Temilade ‘Tems’ Openiyi is no longer a new name in Nigerian music.
Far from it, in fact. The last 24 months have seen her spread her wings for an ascent that has lifted her from the budding Nigerian songstress with a powerful voice to the global R&B darling and one of the most recognisable faces of Nigerian Pop Music in the world. And if her international star power wasn’t already apparent enough to everyone, the double salvo of starring in Marvel’s official tracklist for the soundtrack of Black Panther and then going to feature on Beyonce’s latest album must have been too big to miss for followers of Nigerian music.
As many music enthusiasts take to social media to celebrate these wins, it presents an opportunity to re-evaluate the roles African and especially Nigerian artistes and their music play in the global scene. For the longest time, mainstream recognition, that is, a penetration into the stateside market, getting played on US and UK radio and appearing on foreign festivals and carnivals, has been seen as a sort of peak for Nigerian artistes. For many young acts already making waves in the local music scene, entering foreign waters is the dream – commercially and artistically. The desire to achieve this birthed the concept of Nigerian-foreign collaborations.
One of the surest launching pads into international markets is being able to feature, or get featured by an already established foreign star. It’s been a tried and true formula for many of our biggest stars. Right from D’banj’s highly successful linkup with American rapper, Snoop Dogg back in 2010, to Wizkid’s more recent appearance on Drake’s Grammy-winning Views album with “One Dance”, collaboration has been a key ingredient of any strategy to capture an audience in foreign lands. This holds even till today, with newer acts like Fireboy, Rema and Omah Lay towing the same line in more recent times, but one can’t help but notice a large shift in power dynamics in these relationships.
Africa, the continent with the youngest population in the world, has been discovered as a potential market for foreign stars, still largely untapped in terms of penetration of western music and culture. And with the rapid improvement in the quality of local music in all parts of Africa, from the beautiful Afro-fusion melodies that rock bars in Lagos to the beat-heavy sounds of Amapiano that fuel the Johannesburg nightlife, imported music is losing a foothold in the region of the world with the most potential for growth. With this realisation, we are beginning to see a reverse of the well worn strategy employed by Nigerian acts in their attempts to conquer a new field.
So the tables are turned, at least partly. While Nigerian artistes still persist in their attempts to replicate local success on a global stage using these relationships as launching pads, mainstream acts too are beginning to realise the importance of such partnerships to rekindle their dwindling profiles in this continent. So in comes Tems, in comes the multiple features she has had with mainstream acts, and in comes the Black Panther soundtrack and its reference to Africa. Power is changing hands. Now more than ever, a cross-country collaboration is a win for both parties.
Partnerships like these have kept Tems busy for most of the last year, so that though the last released music of her own only came in September, 2021, her name has never strayed far from the charts or public relevance. Indeed, a glance at the U. S. Afrobeats charts shows the extent of her acceptance in the market, as she currently holds 9 of the 50 positions on the charts, which is nothing short of amazing. And so she’s become the perfect conduit for the biggest U. S. megastars to appeal to Nigeria, while strengthening their positions stateside with an artist that is so loved abroad.
The first of these collaborations came in the form of Justin Bieber’s jumping on the remix of Essence, which helped increase the profile of a song that was soon to be acknowledged as one of the “songs of the summer” of 2021. A month later, Bieber’s compatriot, Drake, was next to tap up Tems for a verse. Their song, “Fountains”, appeared on his Certified Lover Boy album and was proof of the marketing edge that featuring a big Nigerian artiste provides. On the days leading to its release, billboards sprung up in Lagos, seeking to drive attention and streams for the album in Nigeria and alluding to the effort being made by foreign acts and their efforts to connect with a fanbase in Africa. Since then, she’s gone to feature on Future’s I Never Liked You album for a song that debuted at no. 1 on the billboard hot 100, before the most recent one-two with MARVEL entertainment and Beyoncé.
In the coming months, as Tems and other top artistes continue a fruitful collaboration with their international counterparts, it is left to see just how productive it is for both parties as they try to penetrate into their respective foreign markets. In the meantime, a shift in power dynamics means the Nigerian acts will approach the negotiation table as equal partners, no longer begging for verses to promote themselves, but recognising their talent and impact and seeking a larger slice of the pie of the music industry.
