“I’m Not An Afrobeats Artist” – Tems Explains Why She Classifies Her Music As R&B

• igerian singer Tems has explained that she does not consider herself an Afrobeats artiste, insisting that she has always classified her music as R&B.
• She criticised the tendency to label music from Africa as Afrobeats, sparking mixed reactions from Nigerians who debated her sound and the genre of some of her biggest songs.

Nigerian singer Tems has clarified how she classifies her music, insisting that she is an R&B artiste and not an Afrobeats artiste.

Tems said she has consistently described her music as R&B whenever she releases songs, but claimed that blogs often attach the Afrobeats label to her work simply because she is an African artiste.

“I’m not an Afrobeats artist. I classify my music as R&B everytime I release music, but blogs keep calling it Afrobeats. I’ve noticed that any music that comes out of Africa is automatically categorized as Afrobeats,” Tems said.

Her comments have sparked a debate online, with some Nigerians arguing that her music contains elements of Afrobeats while others supported her position that African music is often placed under one broad label.

Reacting, @AbasKendrix: “She better not forget Nigerians gave her the spotlight”

@ISHOLA331392: “Once them blow there are no longer Afro beat ! Tems na Judas”

@_udemezue: “Lol r and B, I pity this lady’s career. Her team is going to ruin her, you are going to have issue breaking barrier with that genre.”

@moolah79: “In an objective view it is Alte-AFROsoul,R & B…” It’s very clear it’s a hybrid of Afrobeats. Tems in trying to deny it unwittingly admits there is still some vestiges of afrobeats in her song.”

@xxyettymamaxx: “Her breakout song with Wizkid ‘Essence’ is Afrobeat. What is rnb is love me jeje? She is more of pop than R&B.”

@temitopex_o: “Not your music Tems but you yourself .. don’t lose your identity over European validity those people don’t really care”

@Adinarichie1: “Because the artist is African and coming from Africa too. So it’s classified as African beat… Afrobeat.”

@Iamfreecastle: “This was what WizKid said then . The internet came for him. I don’t know why people don’t understand that those people are tryna box us with the term “afrobeats””

@ayinla_ayodele: “No wahala babe we love you like that so long u sing in insobusobu”

@GunnersReplay: “But you don’t really sound like a proper R&B artist. Your sound leans more toward modern Fuji than R&B, honestly.”

@ideal56567: “You are far from r and b miss tems”

@Mubaraqshehu_: “Conversion successfully done now all that remains is denouncing citizenship”

@HenryJohns92507: “No be your fault”

@BilyBilyboy: “Tems don distance her self”

@VICtorNV47: “Why’s are nose always shining”

@C__opher: “They called WizKid a mad man”