Tems says her music is R&B, not Afrobeats, as the Nigerian singer challenges the broad labelling of African music and sparks online debate
Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has firmly rejected the Afrobeats label attached to her music, saying on September 1, 2026, that she has consistently classified her sound as R&B.
Tems made the clarification while discussing how her music is described by blogs and music platforms, arguing that African artists are often placed under the Afrobeats category regardless of the character of their individual sound.
“I’m not an Afrobeats artist. I classify my music as R&B every time I release music, but blogs keep calling it Afrobeats,” Tems said.
The singer said she had noticed a broader tendency to categorise music from Africa as Afrobeats, regardless of differences in style, influences and musical identity.
“I’ve noticed that any music that comes out of Africa is automatically categorized as Afrobeats,” she added.
The comments have triggered a lively debate among Nigerian music fans, with reactions ranging from strong support for Tems to criticism from listeners who believe elements of Afrobeats remain evident in some of her songs.
Some fans argued that Tems should have greater freedom to define her own artistic identity, while others pointed to songs such as “Essence”, her acclaimed collaboration with Wizkid, as evidence of her connection to the wider Afrobeats movement.
The debate also reflects a broader conversation about how African music is marketed internationally.
Afrobeats has become a powerful global commercial label, but the term encompasses artists with markedly different approaches to rhythm, songwriting, production and vocal delivery.
Tems has developed a distinctive sound that draws from R&B, soul and alternative African influences.
Her deep, atmospheric vocals and restrained production have helped distinguish her from many mainstream Afrobeats acts.
Her international breakthrough accelerated following her collaboration with Wizkid on “Essence”, which became a global success and introduced her music to a much wider audience.
Since then, Tems has established herself as one of Nigeria’s most prominent contemporary singers, earning major international recognition and building a strong identity around her own sound.
The singer’s latest comments therefore appear less about rejecting African musical influences than about challenging what she sees as an overly broad industry classification.
Online reactions, however, remained divided. Some listeners accused Tems of distancing herself from Afrobeats after benefiting from the genre’s global rise, while others argued that an African artist should not automatically be placed within a single musical category.
For Tems, the distinction appears important to how she understands her artistry.
Her insistence on the R&B classification adds another layer to the ongoing discussion about identity, genre and the way African music is presented to audiences around the world.
