Apple confirmed Thursday (March 31) that Nigerian singer and songwriter Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, will launch an Apple Music 1 radio show called Leading Vibe Radio on April 2 that will air biweekly on the service.
KAMPALA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, is launching a new radio show called Leading Vibe Radio in conjunction with Apple Music 1, which will debut b-weekly on the service on April 2, Apple confirmed Thursday (March 31).
- Temilade Openiyi, better known by her stage name Tems, is launching a new radio show biweekly on Apple Music 1 called Leading Vibe Radio starting April 2.
- Leading Vibe Radio is being produced in conjunction with Apple Music 1 and will premiere on April 2.
- This new radio show (Leading Vibe Radio) will air every other Saturday at 10 am on demand, and the rising star will appear with her co-manager Muyiwa Awoniyi and brother, Tunji Paul.
- Last October, Tems broke through to the mainstream with her feature on Wizkid’s “Essence,” which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Tems debut single, “Mr Rebel,” is also the inspiration for her show, Leading Vibe, which is based on the track’s lyrics.
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On her new show (Leading Vibe Radio), which will be broadcast every other Saturday at 10 am and will be available on-demand, the rising artist will be joined by her co-manager Muyiwa Awoniyi and older brother Tunji Paul.
“Leading Vibe Radio is really aimed at talking about real things, shining a light on women, artists and creatives that are finding their way, finding their voice and talking about how to be good soil — something that greatness can grow out of,” Tems said of Vibe Radio.
“Africa is the source, so pay attention. There are many leading vibes and it’s about all of us collectively coming together to lead the vibe — that’s Africa to the world.”
Tems made her debut in the mainstream by appearing on Wizkid’s “Essence”, a song that reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 last October.
Her first two EPs, For Broken Ears in 2020 and If Orange Was a Place in 2018, also made waves, and her contribution to Drake’s Certified Lover Boy was the track “Fountains.”
This week, Billboard released its first US Afrobeats Songs chart, where eight of her songs made the top 50, including three in the top 10.
“We have been huge fans of Tems’ music since we first heard her debut single ‘Mr Rebel’ back in 2018 and met her in Lagos in December 2019,” explains Karl Anderson, Apple Music’s head of music Africa.
“We have supported her music through our various global editorial campaigns including Africa Rising in 2020, through to our global Up Next program in September 2021, and it’s exciting to see how her music is resonating with our subscribers around the world. We can’t wait for the world to tune into Tems’ new Apple Music radio show and discover one of the most important African voices of her generation.”
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Tems debut single “Mr Rebel” also inspired the title of the show, Leading Vibe Radio, which comes from the song lyrics.
“I don’t know why or how that phrase came into my song,” she says about it.
“Afterwards I realized that it came for a reason, and Leading Vibe is really what it says: leading the vibe and creating opportunities for people, creating an alternative and helping people navigate life. It’s helping people to become leaders, helping people to find their own voice, their own sound, their own thing and to get the best of life.”
With Leading Vibe Radio, Tems joins the growing list of artist-led Apple Music 1 radio shows; many of those other shows have been led by artists like Elton John, Lil Wayne, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj.
“We’ve been captivated by Tems’ mystique since she emerged as a new artist three years ago and now with her new radio show we’ll be granted access to the mind behind the music,” Dotty, Apple Music 1’s lead cultural curator for Black music in the UK, said in a statement.
“Tems is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new artists since the turn of the decade and it’s a huge honor to have her join the Apple Music family.”
