Nigerian singer and songwriter, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed that she was once booed and pelted with plastic bottles while performing at a school event early in her career.
She shared the experience during an interview with Big Boy TV, reflecting on how the rejection shaped her journey in music.
The ‘Crazy Tings’ singer said she had expected a warm reception as an up-and-coming artiste but was met with a different response from the crowd.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that beyond the embarrassment of that moment, she faced other rejections while trying to establish herself in the industry.
However, she said those experiences did not stop her from pursuing her goals.
She admitted that some of the pushback may have stemmed from her decision to stick to her originality rather than performing covers or making sounds similar to what many of her peers were doing at the time.
Now a Grammy-winning artiste, Tems said she is grateful she did not compromise her style despite the early pressures and setbacks.