Tems is in her winning season. The Nigerian singer-songwriter has captured hearts and ears with crossover appeal with her single “Free Mind,” which has now spent 17 weeks at No.1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, according to Billboard.
The feat breaks the record for a song by a lead female artist as Ella Mai‘s “Boo’d Up” once held the spot for 16 weeks in 2018. “Free Mind” was not initially a standout on Tems’ 2020 EP For Broken Ears as her song “Damages” reached No.1 on the Nigerian Apple Music charts; however, last year, the track caught fire, and it hasn’t let up since.
For Tems, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, the past few years have been what dreams are made of. Her collaboration with Future and Drake on the track “WAIT FOR U” earned her a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance, making her the first Nigerian woman to receive the honor and an American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song. In addition, Tems co-wrote the Oscar-nominated song “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack alongside director Ryan Coogler. She also caught the ears of former President Barack Obama when he included her song “Vibe Out” on his annual summer playlist last year, according to Insider.
The record-breaking week for “Free Mind” on this week’s Billboard charts continues to be ‘the most-heard song from a combined slate of U.S. monitored adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the week ending May 11’, according to Billboard. The 27-year-old joins music legends like Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Alicia Keys on the list of artists that dominated the genre. Tems also holds the record as a featured artist as her and WizKid‘s track “Essence” held down the No. 1 spot for a whopping 27 weeks.