In the past few years, Tems has become known as one of the foremost ambassadors of the African pop scene. In 2022, she became the first African artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; last year, she and several of her countrymen performed at the NBA All-Star Game; and this year, she released her debut album, Born In The Wild, and went on her first headlining tour to promote it.
Today, she dropped the video for album standout, “Turn Me Up,” which combines her R&B-flavored approach to African pop sounds with Caribbean flair, adding a little dancehall styling to the already heady brew. For the video, she went straight to the source, shooting in Jamaica with director Loris Russier, highlighting the natural beauty of the island and the grittiness of its urban additions. Throughout the video, Jamaican rudeboys mean mug the camera to let viewers know that while the island is a gorgeous place to live, you’ve still got to be tough to survive there.
2024 continued to be a banner year for Tems, as she was also nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Song (“Burning”), Best African Music Performance (“Love Me JeJe”), and Best Global Music Album (Born In The Wild). We’ll see how she fares at the 67th Grammy Awards next year.
You can watch Tems’ steamy “Turn Me Up” video above.
Born In The Wild is out now via via RCA Records/Since ’93. You can find more information here.
