Nigerian singer and songwriter Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has made history as the first female Nigerian artist to achieve a 10 million-unit sales milestone in the United States.
The landmark was confirmed on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, by music chart authority Chart Data, which announced that WAIT FOR U—her Grammy-winning collaboration with American stars Future and Drake—has officially surpassed 10 million sales in the U.S.
The record, which earned Tems a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance, further strengthens her reputation as one of Africa’s most successful global music exports.
Tems has consistently broken new ground on the international stage. In 2022, she became the first African female artist to surpass one billion streams on Spotify, a feat that underscored her growing dominance in the streaming era.
Her journey to global acclaim began in 2018 with the release of her debut single Mr Rebel. She rose to prominence after featuring on Wizkid’s 2020 smash hit Essence, which broke into the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Grammy nominations, cementing her place in the international spotlight.
Currently, Tems is on her 2025–2026 world tour, which kicked off on September 28 and runs through November 15. The tour will see her perform across major cities, including Nairobi, Salvador in Brazil, and Los Angeles, where she is set to take the stage at Dodger Stadium.
In a recent post following her performance in Kenya, she expressed gratitude to fans: “Kenya! The love has been insane! I love you so much. Till next time.”
Her record-breaking achievement places her alongside Nigerian superstar Wizkid, who became the first Nigerian male artist to hit the same milestone when his feature on Drake’s “One Dance” was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2022.
