BIOGRAPHY
Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer. She was born on June 11, 1995, in Lagos, Nigeria. Tems grew up in a family of creatives, with her mother being a filmmaker and her grandfather a renowned Nigerian painter. She developed a love for music at a young age and started writing songs as a teenager. She attended Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos, and went on to study economics at the University of Lagos.
HER MUSICAL RISE AND JOURNEY
During her time at university, she continued to pursue her passion for music and began recording her own songs.
In 2018, Tems gained widespread recognition for her feature on the hit single “Mr Rebel” by Jamaican-American artist, Sango. She then released her own debut single, “Mr. Rebel,” in the same year.
Tems’ music can be described as a fusion of R&B, soul, and afrobeats. And boy! What a voice she’s got!
Her biggest music break came from “Essence,” a hit track from Wizkid’s widely known album, Made in Lagos. “Essence,” on its own, broke so many musical records and topped a fair number of the world’s biggest music charts for several weeks. And Tems’ exceptional vocals didn’t go unnoticed.
Tems has been creating ripples in the music industry with her innovative artistry and imaginative vision. Tems’ unique style of music and talent is evidenced by her receipt of the Prize for Music at The Future Awards Africa and the Impact Award at the BMI London Awards. In the current year, 2023, Tems received Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best Melodic Rap Performance, for her song “Wait for U,” with Future and Drake. She claimed victory in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category at the Grammy with the same track.
She also earned a nomination for Best Original Song—Motion Picture at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards for “Lift Me Up,” which was featured in the film Black Panther 2. Other of her notable songs include Damages, Try Me, Crazy Things, and many more.
HIGHER
The song “Higher” is a soulful and captivating piece of music by the talented Nigerian singer-songwriter. It made its debut on September 25, 2020, as part of her debut EP titled “For Broken Ears.” The song has received immense praise for its compelling lyrics and vocals and has rapidly gained a significant following among music lovers. Despite being sampled or subjected to what I will call an interpolation by Future and Drake. The uniqueness and authenticity of Tems’ “Higher” remain evident, thus solidifying its position as a distinctive and remarkable addition to her repertoire.
I would arguably say that “Higher” is just about her biggest and deepest solo song ever, besides the sample on Future’s version. Her depth of figurative expression goes on to validate her level of intelligence and mental creativity, with precise emphasis on her multiple times of metaphoric expressions.
The song speaks of pain and oozes an aura of melancholy and an image of a breakup.
The song appears to be about one who has been hurt by her lover, and with that pain, she tries to heal and move on, but tries to make her lover see her process of healing. She appears to also want to know her value before her lover, probably before the pain. That was clear when she said:
“If the world was ending
Would you cry or would try to get me?
Tell me now, I want you to be clear, yeah (tell me)
Tell me now, I need you to be clear, yeah (tell me)”
But the clarity of the chorus is what is vague. What exactly is she waiting for him for? Is she demanding an explanation, or she expects him to pick up the pieces of things from where they left them and to make things right?
We could go on and spend time trying to decipher the weighty meaning of the song, but we wouldn’t want to give an abstract meaning to what the song originally means to the writer and singer, would we?
CONCLUSION
In all, I would rate “Higher” as an excellent lyrical work. A song worthy of high praise. Even so, it deserves more accolades than it is getting.
The music tempo was good; the instrumentals’ composure was incredible. The imagery the song creates within is best described as unexplainable. And, to crown it all, it was as if the song was composed to be sung only by Tems, no one else. You should probably have it on a replay.
Advice: I wouldn’t listen to much of it if I’m going through a heartbreak. Lol! I mean, this song gets to your soul, gets you reflecting and reminiscing and somewhat nostalgic about the best memories you had in a past relationship.
