Tems Opens Up About Early Career Struggles: I Didn’t Feel Seen or Supported

- by Adenike Fayemi

The Grammy-winning artist channels her past struggles into a new initiative, ‘The Leading Vibe,’ to create visibility and opportunities for women behind the music.

In a candid revelation, Grammy award-winning Nigerian superstar Tems has shared the profound challenges she faced at the start of her career, confessing that for a long time, she struggled to be taken seriously in the music industry.

During a recent interview, the 30-year-old singer and producer opened up about feeling isolated and underestimated. “It was really hard to get people to take me seriously not just as a producer, but as a singer, period,” Tems told CNN. “I didn’t feel safe, and I didn’t feel seen, and I didn’t feel supported for a very long time.”

Through it all, she held fast to one non-negotiable principle: her authenticity. “Authenticity is everything to me,” she stated. “That’s the one thing I cannot compromise on because that’s all I have, who I really am.”

Now using her hard-won platform for change, Tems is championing the next generation of female talent through her initiative, ‘The Leading Vibe.’ The program is designed to support and elevate women in behind-the-scenes roles—from producers to audio engineers and managers—creating the opportunities she once lacked.

“There are so many talented women… but they’re not even visible,” she explained. “So, I want to make them visible and create a space where we can redefine the perspective of women in music.”

This mission is set to expand globally, with plans to take the initiative to Kenya next. Tems expressed a powerful belief that by giving women a platform and a chance, “it’s going to change the shape of the music industry for sure.”

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