Nigerian music star Temilade Opeyemi, professionally known as Tems, has etched her name deeper into global music history after becoming the first female artist from Africa to place seven different songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The Grammy Award winner reached the latest milestone as her song What You Need debuted at number 93 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. The fresh entry takes Tems’ total appearances on the prestigious chart to seven, a feat no African female artist has previously achieved.
With this achievement, Tems is now tied with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy and South African rock band Seether for the highest number of Billboard Hot 100 entries by an African act in the chart’s history. The record further cements her status as one of Africa’s most influential music exports.
Tems has continued to break barriers on the global stage since 2022, when she made history as the first African artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with Wait For U, her chart-topping collaboration with Future and Drake. The song marked a defining moment not just for her career, but for African music’s growing dominance in the global market.
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Music industry watchers say Tems could soon stand alone at the top of the African Billboard record books. Projections indicate that Bunce Road Blues, a forthcoming track by American rapper J. Cole featuring Tems and Future, is likely to debut on the Hot 100 next week. If that happens, Tems will secure an eighth entry, pushing her ahead of Burna Boy and Seether.
The latest milestone reinforces Tems’ rapid rise from Lagos to global superstardom, as she continues to expand the reach of African music while redefining what is possible for female artists from the continent.
