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In an exclusive interview with Billboard magazine, Afrobeats sensation Tems, honored as the 2024 Women in Music Breakthrough honoree, reveals a newfound appreciation for the significance of her Yoruba name, Témìládè, meaning “the crown is mine.” The rising global music star acknowledges that, with her success, the name feels like a powerful manifestation of her journey.
Born Témìládè Openiyi, Tems shares that her name, often shortened to Temi in her earlier years, gained profound meaning as an adult. “Growing up, everybody just called me Temi. It wasn’t something that was on my mind,” she says. “It’s only now, as an adult, that I started realizing that it meant ‘The crown is mine.’ I think that’s really powerful. It feels manifested, based on how my life has gone,” she adds.
As she prepares to be honored at the 2024 Billboard Women In Music event alongside other music luminaries, Tems expresses her excitement about inspiring others through her career. While acknowledging the difficulty of fully grasping the impact of her story, she states, “I’m not sure if I would ever really be aware of whatever impact my story has, but it feels inspiring to know that I’ve inspired others because I’m inspired by other people as well. It just encourages me to keep going.”
