Tems becomes first African female singer to win Diamond single in US

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has become the first African female singer to earn a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Diamond-certified single in the United States.

Tems attained the milestone for the song “Wait For U,” her collaboration with American rapper Future featuring Canadian rapper Drake, after the song surpassed 10 million certified units in the United States.

Global music monitoring platform, Chart Data, revealed on its X page that the song has sold over 11 million units in the U.S.

“US Certifications (@RIAA): Future (@1future) Feat. @Drake & @temsbaby, WAIT FOR U 11x Platinum (11,000,000),” the platform write.

Tems now joins Wizkid as the only African singers to earn a Diamond single in U.S.

Wizkid was the first African artiste to receive a RIAA Diamond Certification through his collaboration with Drake on ‘One Dance.’

‘She’s my dream collab’: Davido seeks collaboration with Rihanna

The achievement marks another major milestone in Tems’ international career and further underscores the growing global recognition of Nigerian music.

The “Love is a Kingdom” crooner has continued to break new grounds on the global music scene since gaining international prominence with her distinctive vocals and songwriting.

The singer has won multiple Grammy Awards and received nominations for several international music honours, collaborating with some of the world’s biggest music stars.