Nigerian Singer Tems has given reflections on the development of her own style and self-articulation, highlighting the meaning of realness. In a new meeting with Karefa Johnson from Essence Magazine, Tems verbalized that her extraordinary style sense emerges naturally from her obligation to be certifiable, as opposed to from an expectation to pass on a particular message.
The artist remarked, “You should be yourself even if something else is expected of you. You win, automatically, when you are yourself, no matter what that looks like. That’s why there’s variety.”
Tems also discussed the societal pressure to adhere to certain fashion norms, particularly for artists and women, emphasizing that individual differences should negate the existence of a universal standard for attire. She stated, “We’re different and are not all meant to be the same. And I know there’s a standard, but there shouldn’t be one. There shouldn’t be a standard for what people should dress like if they’re artists, or what people should dress like if they’re women. I just feel like we’re all unique. There shouldn’t be a requirement. That’s what I mean by standard. There shouldn’t be a requirement or some kind of expectation that you dress a certain way.”
Karefa Johnson asked, ” I wonder if you have recognised that you mean so much to so many people in that way—in a “self-love and acceptance” way and an “authentically expressing yourself” kind of way. Do you accept being designated as somebody who’s pushing that kind of positivity out into the world?”
In her answer, Tems conveyed appreciation for being seen as a good example in this unique situation and reaffirmed her obligation to credibility.
“I appreciate that that’s what’s coming across. And I do think people should be themselves. I can’t really be anybody else. It’s just not going to work. You are doing yourself a disservice by trying to be someone else. You should just be who you are. Once you start trying, you’ve already missed the road. That’s a takeaway from how I live my life for sure,” she said.
