Born Témìládè Openiyi, in a new interview spotlighting the Afrobeats star as Billboard magazine’s 2024 Women in Music Breakthrough honouree, the singer said that with her success as a musician, the meaning of her name – the crown is mine – feels like a full circle moment.
“Growing up, everybody just called me Temi. Nobody really called me by my full name. It wasn’t something that was on my mind,” she told the American music magazine. “It’s only now, as an adult, that I started realising that it meant ‘The crown is mine.’ I think that’s really powerful. It feels manifested, based on how my life has gone,” she added.
For this Women in Music award which will hold tomorrow, Wednesday March 6, 2024, Tems will be honoured alongside other women in music, including Ice Spice, NewJeans, new Grammy winner, Victoria Monét, Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX, Luisa Sonza, Young Miko and the American country singer Maren Morris.
Tems also told the magazine in the interview that she is excited to have inspired other people to pursue their dreams with her career. However she acquiesce that she will never be aware of the impact her rise to international stardom has on the public.
“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,” Tems said. “It just encourages me to keep going,” she added.
