Nigerian singer and songwriter Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has reached a historic milestone by becoming the first female Nigerian artist to record over 10 million single sales in the United States.
Music chart platform Chart Data confirmed the feat on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, noting that Tems’ Grammy-winning collaboration with Future and Drake, “WAIT FOR U,” has now crossed the 10 million sales mark in the U.S.
The record, which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance, further cements Tems’ reputation as one of Africa’s biggest musical exports.
In addition, Tems recently set another record as the first African female artist to surpass one billion streams on Spotify, underscoring her growing dominance on the global stage.
Her international breakthrough came in 2020 after her feature on Wizkid’s “Essence” — a hit that broke into the Billboard Hot 100 and received multiple Grammy nominations. Tems had begun her journey in 2018 with her debut single “Mr Rebel.”
Sharing her gratitude with fans after a performance in Kenya, Tems wrote on X,
“Kenya! The love has been insane! I love you so much. Till next time.”
She is currently on her 2025–2026 world tour, which started on September 28 and will run through November 15, with performances lined up in Nairobi, Salvador (Brazil), and Los Angeles, where she will take the stage at Dodger Stadium.
By comparison, Wizkid remains the first Nigerian male artist to reach this level, after his feature on Drake’s “One Dance” achieved RIAA Diamond certification in 2022 with over 10 million sales.
Tems’ latest achievement adds to an already impressive list of accolades, including wins at the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Soul Train Music Awards, firmly positioning her as a trailblazer for African female artists on the global music scene.
