Musician Tems has said it is her dream to work with Beyonce as she is honoured with the Trailblazer gong at the Elle Style Awards.
The Nigerian singer-songwriter, 28, shot to fame in 2020 after she was featured on Wizkid’s 2020 single Essence. She was also sampled on the song Fountains by Drake that same year.
On September 5, she will receive the Trailblazer award at the ELLE Style Awards 2023, held in partnership with Tiffany & Co.
And in an interview and front page cover with the glossy magazine, she spoke about her dream of collaborating with Beyonce – and how she wanted to keep working with other African artists like herself as she gained more success.
Speaking about working with the world-renowned pop star, Tems – full name Temilade Openiyi – said: “Beyoncé, girl, I’m ready.
“Any time she wants to pick up the phone, anything she wants to do, if she wants to release another album tomorrow, I’m there. I love everything she does.”
Tems, who was born in Nigeria but moved briefly to the UK as a child before relocating back to her home country, said she wanted to work with more African artists as she continued her ascent to fame.
“I’ve been working with some Nigerian artists,” she said of her latest body of work.
“I feel like everybody from back home is killing it. I would love to work with all of them.”
Speaking more generally about the past two years, the Grammy-nominated star said: “‘I have learned so much, and I’ve had to learn so much.
“I was super naive, as most people are that have a dream. You don’t realise the loss, or the things that you have to deal with, when you achieve this dream.”
She said she was determined to move forward and leave past versions of herself and her music behind.
“This season really is just about shedding,” she said. “Shedding dead weight, shedding dead skin, shedding things that are not me.”
Looking to the future, Tems added: “I want to be someone that is full of love, peace, joy and care. My new dream is just to be the most evolved person I can ever be.”
