Review: TEMS Shines in Vancouver With her Powerhouse Vocals and Soulful Vibes

Last weekend, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer, TEMS, brought her “Born In The Wild” tour to a sold-out crowd at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, BC. With the release of her debut album, “Born In The Wild” in June of this year, TEMS brought many of the songs from this album to life on stage. Mixing energetic Afrobeats with soulful empowering lyrics, the “Born In The Wild” tour stop in Vancouver was more than just a concert, but a memorable and transcendental concert experience. 

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Temilade Openiyi (known as TEMS), began to pursue a career in music in 2018 after working in digital marketing. Producing her first single entitled, “Mr Rebel,” in July of 2018, it was evident that she had something special and her musical talent did not go unnoticed. With a goal of creating her own unique sound by channeling her true feelings, it was not long before TEMS found and embraced her deep and smooth R&B Afrobeat distinctive musical style. 

Her debut extended play, “For Broken Ears,” produced primarily by herself was released in 2020 featuring the single, “Damages.” The song peaked at number one on the Nigerian Apple Music chart. Soon after, TEMS was featured on Wizkid’s song, “Essence,” putting her in the spotlight. “Essence” gave TEMS her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a Grammy nomination for “Best Global Music Performance,” and an eventual reworked version of the song with Justin Bieber. In September of 2021, TEMS was featured on the song, “Fountains,” from Drake’s 6th album, “Certified Lover Boy.” Around the same time, she was signed to RCA Records/ Since ‘93 and released her second extended play, “If Orange Was a Place.” 

Photo Credit: Tems 2024

To add to TEMS’ impressive and long list of accolades, a notable career highlight was her vocals from her song, “Higher,” being featured on Future’s song, “Wait for U,” alongside Drake earning her a Grammy Award for “Best Melodic Rap Performance.” Additionally, TEMS covered Bob Marley’s song, “No Woman, No Cry” and co-wrote the song, “Lift Me Up,” for Rihanna; both of which were part of the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” movie soundtrack. Furthermore, in 2022 TEMS was also a guest artist on Beyoncé’s album, “Renaissance.” She was featured on the song, “MOVE” alongside Grace Jones. 

Earlier this year, TEMS made her debut at Coachella teasing her new album by playing “Love Me Jeje” during her set for both weekends. TEMS’ first studio album, “Born In The Wild” was released in June of this year containing 14 songs and guest appearances from J.Cole and Asake. The lead singles of the album included, “Me & U,” “Love Me Jeje,” and “Burning.” Reaching the Top 30 in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK, the album was a commercial success, paving the way for TEMS’ upcoming “Born In The Wild” tour. The “Born In The Wild” tour is TEMS’ first ever headlining tour visiting 28 cities in total. The tour began on June 12, 2024 in London and then moved on shortly to stops across Europe. The North American leg of the tour began in August in Miami at The Fillmore Miami Beach. The tour will play its final shows in Australia and will end on November 15 in Sydney. The tour also features special guests Naomi Sharon and Lekan who will play various shows throughout the tour. 

TEMS’ show in Vancouver took place in a venue very fitting for the intimate yet upbeat concert experience. Within the Queen Elizabeth Theatre sat a very diverse crowd of attendees both ready to dance and experience the magic of TEMS’ vocals. Opening act, Lekan, took the stage first playing a set of relaxed R&B songs filling the atmosphere with gospel-inspired vocals and chill melodic vibes. Once his set ended, the stage was transformed into a breathtaking nature-inspired set for TEMS. With mossy patches scattered along the base of the pillars for both TEMS and her live band, the entire setup of her staging perfectly complemented her ethereal stage presence powerhouse vocals. 

The show started off on a high-note with TEMS claiming the stage as her own with all eyes on her. With the pulsating beats of the Afrobeat genre in many of her upbeat songs moving through the hearts and ears of the audience, TEMS had no issue bringing the crowd to their feet, dancing and swaying to the music. A memorable moment was the audience interaction TEMS had with fans near the front of the stage. One fan impressed TEMS with his dancing and was invited on stage to dance with her! The good vibes and friendly atmosphere remained prominent as TEMS moved through her set, never letting the good energy fade away.

An admirable aspect of the show was the fact that there was no video or flashy effects used in between songs or in the background. The show’s focus was the music and TEMS’ connection with the audience. Through her empowering lyrics and high energy anthems, TEMS was able to  connect each and every person to herself. Some crowd favorite songs included, “Burning,” “Ice T,” “Forever,” “Essence,” and “Love Me Jeje.” Playing songs mostly from her new album, TEMS’ effortlessly brought everyone into her world and was successful at turning the night into an intimate concert experience filled with effortless vocals and emotion. 

TEMS and her “Born In The Wild” tour played in Vancouver, BC on September 22. The tour will play next in San Francisco, California at the Warfield on September 29, 2024. After her last USA stop at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, TEMS will play three shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. The “Born In The Wild” Tour will play its last show on November 15, 2024 at The Hordern Pavillion in Sydney, Australia. For more information about TEMS, her music, and to purchase tickets to the “Born In the Wild” Tour, visit the link below. 

Photo Credit: Tems 2024

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