How illness, surgery delayed my debut album – Tems

• Tems revealed that her debut album was scheduled for release in 2021 but got postponed due to an illness that forced her into surgery.
• She explained that she released her sophomore extended play, ‘If Orange Was a Place’ instead.

Grammy award-winning singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed the reason behind the delayed release of her debut album.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Tems shared that a “serious illness” caused her to postpone the scheduled release of her debut album in 2021.

According to her, the illness led to her undergoing surgery and six months of recovery, forcing her to put her album on hold.

Instead of her debut album, Tems stated that she decided to release her sophomore extended play, ‘If Orange Was a Place’.

She revealed that during her recovery journey, she found inspiration for her new music, describing it as a reflection of embracing life as a warrior.

Tems said:

“Being a warrior is about not giving up,” she said. “Even if they cut your leg, you walk on your knees, you fight on your knees using what you have — and that’s good enough.”

Tems’ much-anticipated debut album, ‘Born In The Wild’, is set to drop on June 7.

In addition to her album release, Tems will also kick off her first headline world tour in June.

In another story, South African singer, Tyla reveals how Tems opened doors of global recognition for African female artists.

In a recent interview with Kiss Fresh UK, Tyla confessed that collaborating with Tems on her debut album was an absolute delight, citing Tems’ extraordinary talent and great energy.

According to Tyla, Collaborating with Tems was an incredible experience, noting that her talent knows no bounds.

She said:

“Working with Tems is amazing. She is so talented. She is literally a force. I’m so honoured to have worked with her. She has opened so many doors for us (young African female artists).”

Tyla and Tems joined forces on the hit single “Number 1” from Tyla’s self-titled debut album, released earlier this month.

Tyla gushed about their collaboration, saying, “We made such a beautiful song with such a beautiful message. It is a song for the girls and it is made by the girls.”