Singer Tems Becomes First African Female Artist With Seven Billboard Hot 100 Entries
Nigerian singer and Grammy winner Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, has reached a new milestone in her career, becoming the first African female artist to score seven entries on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Her latest appearance comes with “What You Need,” which debuted at No. 93 this week, bringing her total number of Hot 100 entries to seven.
With that, Tems now stands level with Burna Boy and South African rock band Seether, who also hold seven entries each, the highest tally by African artists on the chart.
The achievement marks another step in Tems’ steady rise on the global stage. In 2022, she made history when “Wait For U,” her collaboration with Future and Drake, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s immediate impact signaled a turning point, not just for her career, but for the broader visibility of African artists in mainstream Western music markets.
She may not hold the record alone for long. J. Cole’s upcoming single “Bunce Road Blues,” which features Tems and Future, is expected to enter the Hot 100 next week. If it does, she will move ahead with an eighth career entry.
Tems’ continued chart presence highlights the growing commercial power of African music globally. As Afrobeats and related sounds increasingly shape international pop culture, artists like Tems are no longer crossing over, they are leading from the front.
Her latest achievement reinforces her position as one of Africa’s most influential and internationally recognized artists today.
