Tems: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
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Published 2021-11-04
Bobby Carter | November 4, 2021
From an elegant performance space in Lagos, Nigeria, Temilade Openiyi, aka Tems, adorns hues that recall the title of her latest EP, If Orange Was a Place. As she slips into performance mode, emoting with her eyelids drooped slightly, she begins "Found" in her upper register before switching to that unmistakably rich alto range. That's when the magic starts.
Her music aligns perfectly with the Tiny Desk aesthetic: Everything is stripped away to reveal the feels. Over the past couple of years, the Nigerian singer's star has been on a steady ascent, beginning with the release of her first couple of singles, "Try Me" and "Mr. Rebel." "Damages" (performed here) was huge in Nigeria and helped put her name on the U.S. map. That slow and steady approach led to features on two huge international hits: Drake's "Fountains," one of the standouts on Certified Lover Boy, and "Essence" by Wizkid featuring ahem ... starring Tems. Originally released last year, the latter was arguably the song of this summer (ask anyone who braved the nightclubs in 2021). Those two jams served as a gateway to what's becoming a substantial discography, and her Tiny Desk setlist tacitly implies, "I know you love those songs and you'll love these, too." She's right.
SET LIST
"Found"
"Free Mind"
"Looku Looku"
"Replay"
"Damages"
MUSICIANS
Tems: vocals
Nsikak David: guitar
Afolabi Adekomaiya: drums
Obinna Enwere: keys
Ayo Dele Owa: bass
CREDITS
Director: ua.x
Producer: Ebuka Nwobu.
Production Manager: Chisom Nwobu
DOP: FEDWORKS
Art Director: Desola Falomo
Associate Producers: Kenechukwu Nwobu, Adedamola Adetunji
Gaffer: Ekene Ucheonwu
Camera Operators: Gbolahan Inaolaji Quam, Folarin Oludare
Location Manager: Debo Johnson
Camera Assistants: Tobi Oloko
Editor: uaxstudio
Colorist: Eduvie 'Stedi' Emojevwe
Production Company: uaxstudio + Ladder, Lex & Booker
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Maia Stern
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
#nprmusic #tinydesk #tems
All Comments (21)
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Tiny desk 2024 brought me here again. She is fantastic live
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She literally sounds JUST like her tracks.
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Leaving this here so that when anybody likes my comment i come back and listen to this masterpiece😊❤
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"looku looku" - a Nigerian pidgin slang referring to someone who stares/looks too much. The song talks about her love who has a wandering eyes and stares at every woman that passes or moves his way. It's an emotional (painful) and comedic song at the same time. She tells her lover that one day, his eyes and neck would break or turn from turning back to stare too much.
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I can't believe she sang for 20 mins without back up singers and I wasn't bored. Tems to the world
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This is one of the things I love about Tiny Desk - you click on a concert at random and hit solid gold.
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Her voice is an instrument
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Tems is what the music industry needed. She sounds like no other and her voice is very soothing.
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Nobody sounds like Tems and that’s her power
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It’s safe to say that I’m basically inlove with this woman guys 😭
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I didnt even know Tems had done Tiny Desk before, the 2024 Tiny Desk brought me here 😮💨❤️🔥
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its funny how replay is the most replayed section during this set
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how she casually just served us her OWN second verse for Found?? and she looks so cozy and regal... like a queen and a flower. and her dimples!!
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actually perfect
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Nah guys 🥹 being an African is a flex, no cap.
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Why is no one talking about the bassist. He’s so good and knows his controls
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The track “free mind” has power , the way the tears just started to flow… wow Tems is such a blessing to this earth.
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Her tone has a healing vibration to it, even when she sings live ✨
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