Tems Becomes First African Female Artist with Seven Billboard Hot 100 Entries

By Zainab Bakare

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems, has made history as the first African female artist to record seven entries on the United State Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The milestone was achieved following the debut of her song “What You Need” at No. 93 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, bringing her total appearances on the chart to seven.

With this feat, Tems now ties fellow Nigerian superstar Burna Boy and South African rock group Seether as the African artists with the highest number of Billboard Hot 100 entries.

Tems has continued to set global records for African music.

In 2022, she became the first African artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 through her collaboration with Future and Drake on the chart-topping hit “Wait For U.”

The singer is expected to break the current tie soon, as J. Cole’s “Bunce Road Blues,” featuring Tems and Future, is projected to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in the coming week, further extending her historic run.