How illness, surgery delayed my debut album – Tems

Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, a Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, has disclosed that a "serious illness" (which she refuses to specify) forced her to postpone the release of her debut album.


Tems, who rose to prominence in 2020 after performing on Wizkid's summer smash 'Essence,' revealed in a recent interview with the New York Times that her debut album was supposed to be released in 2021 but was delayed owing to an illness that required surgery and a six-month rehabilitation period.

Instead, the Oscar-nominated diva published her second extended play, 'If Orange Was a Place'.

Fighting her way back to health inspired some of her new music, which she describes as about accepting life as a warrior.


"Being a warrior is about not giving up," she stated. "Even if they cut your leg, you walk on your knees, you fight on your knees using what you have — and that's good enough."

Tems' highly anticipated and long-awaited debut album, "Born In The Wild," will be released on June 7.

In addition, her first headline global tour will begin in June.