Tems has become a household name in a head-spinning amount of time. The Nigerian songstress went from critically acclaimed artist to pop star thanks to collabs with the likes of Future, Wizkid, and Drake. She even appeared on the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. Tems is officially a big time name, and she hasn't even dropped an album. At least, so far. She hopped on social media on May 10 to unveil the cover AND release date for her long-awaited debut.
The artwork for her debut album, Born In the Wild, is absolutely striking. The singer is barely illuminated against a black backdrop. All you can see is her eyes, her jewelry, and loose outline of her body. It fits her soulful, ethereal aesthetic to a T. The bigger revelation, though, was the album's release date. Fans have been waiting for a Tems album for close to five years, so to call a proper release date a huge deal is an understatement. The singer confirmed that Born In the Wild will be dropping on June 7th.
Tems' Anticipated Debut Will Drop June 7th
Born In the Wild is a long time coming. Tems first teased the album's existence in 2022 via X (formerly Twitter), and it was originally supposed to drop in May 2024. She didn't reveal the reason for the delay, but she did reflect on feeling the pressure to deliver during a Billboard profile. The singer claimed she wanted to push the boundaries of what Nigerian performers could get away with. "Is it possible to make this type of music even though I’m Nigerian," she asked the outlet. "Is there a limit to what I can make? I wanted to find out."
Tems has released three singles ahead of the album's release. "Me & U," "Not An Angel," and "Love Me JeJe" have all been warmly received by fans and critics."Me & U" has done particularly well, earning an Outstanding International Song at the 55th NAACP Image Awards. Tems described each of these songs as being powerful because they came from an honest place. "I feed myself with truth and I pray a lot," she told Apple Music. "I think attaining knowledge and gaining understanding is how you stay grounded." Now that a proper release date has been dropped, the prayers of Tems' fans have also been answered.
