There’s no denying that Rihanna is a global superstar and any words of advice from her are sure to juice up any artist on the rise. Tems, the Nigerian singer most notable for her vocals on Wizkid’s “Essence,” is a bit more than just an emerging act, though. “Essence” has propelled Tems to a path that could lead to massive Rihanna-like heights. She was featured on Beyoncé’s Renaissance alongside Grace Jones and Bey on “Move,” and was recognized as the Best International Act at the 2022 BET Awards. But none of this seems to go to her head; she’s chill AF. In fact, a new feature in GQ UK bears the headline “Tems Is Way Too Chill.” But Rihanna is here to help her with rising to the occasion.
When speaking about the grandeur of being on “Move” alongside to icons in Beyoncé and Jones, Tems comes across as humble and grateful. But then professes that while, “Of course it means something to me,” she explains that, “I just have this chill thing going on,” which keeps her grounded. But when she met Rihanna at the “We Found Love” singer’s Savage x Fenty show in Los Angeles last year, Rihanna was direct with Tems about embracing her soaring stardom, saying, “‘You need to be that b*tch you know you are.”
How does one even manage to process that coming from Rihanna? Something tells us that Tems, who has since notched a song on the Wakanda Forever soundtrack and put out the track “Wait For U” with Drake and Future earlier this year, is already taking the advice in stride.