Article published in GQ SA, November 2021
Temilade “Tems” Openiyi is on an upward trajectory. The rising star has made a name for herself, releasing her debut album Illumination in 2018, followed by her EP For Broken Ears in 2020.
Then, she began appearing on more high-profile tracks: a feature with Khalid, WizKid’s ‘Essence’, and ‘Fountains’ from Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album. With her latest EP, If Orange Was a Place, she charts her emotional journey of freedom, creativity, love and resurgence, experimenting with her signature alté and Afro-R&B sound.
Tems uses different shades of orange as an analogy for various phases and moments in her life. ‘Orange is a vibe,’ she explains. ‘It’s that feeling you get when you watch the sunset, the sweetness of an orange. And when I think of the songs on that album, I’m transported to a different place, where everything’s warm and sweet.’ Known for her moodiness, originality and expression in her songs, Tems has always done things on her own terms. The singer opened up to GQ about her journey into music, her latest EP, creative process and hopes for the future.
GQ: What inspired you to get into music?
Tems: I’ve always loved it. I don’t even remember the very first time [that she realised music was her calling], but I’ve always felt drawn to
it. And I can create authentically and naturally. I was sure I’d end up in this industry.
GQ: You’ve mentioned before you stopped listening to music to find your sound when you were younger. How did you find and become confident in your unique voice and style?
T: I focused more on creating music than consuming it, so I didn’t allow anyone to influence it, allowing my authentic sound to come forth.
So, yeah, I was really focused on creating music from my mind and heart, and anything that came to me naturally, using instruments, anything I could find.
GQ: Congrats on the release of If Orange was Place. Could you tell us more about the project? What messages are you trying to convey through your songs?
T: It takes you through a moment in my life and depicts the different moods and shades of orange. If orange were a place, it’d be what my life was like the moment I wrote one of those songs. My album is a way of sharing that experience with listeners.
GQ: You’re also a talented producer. Describe your creative process.
T: It depends on the day. I do what I can, based on how I feel in the moment, and I vibe and freestyle. Sometimes, I hear melodies in my mind, and I put them down, then build on them.
GQ: You have many massive live performances under your belt, and Lollapalooza (a festival in Chicago) is coming up. Do you enjoy
being on stage?
T: I do, and I love performing because it takes me back to the original… to the very first moment I made a song and how I felt when
I created it. The experience of sharing that with so many people who could connect and relate to it was magical.
GQ: What inspires your music now?
T: In the last year alone, I’ve had many mind-blowing life experiences and encounters that’ve changed my
perspective. So, yeah, my life and everything I feel inspires the music I create.
GQ: How do you like to spend your free time?
T: I enjoy anything that involves creativity, so I love to cook, draw and design. I look for new things to do every day. I love anything artistic,
such as paint
