February 10, (THEWILL) — Nigerian singer Tems has made history as the first African female artist to record seven entries on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The achievement follows the debut of her song ‘What You Need’, which entered the chart at No. 93. This brings her total Hot 100 appearances to seven.
With this milestone, Tems now ties Burna Boy and South African rock band Seether as the African artists with the highest number of entries on the chart.
Tems first gained widespread chart success in 2021 with Wizkid’s ‘Essence’, featuring Justin Bieber. The song peaked at No. 9, becoming the first Nigerian song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10.
Later that year, she appeared on Drake’s ‘Fountains’, which peaked at No. 26.
In 2022, Tems reached another career high with ‘Wait For U’, her collaboration with Future and Drake, which debuted at No. 1, making her the first African artist to debut at the top of the Hot 100.
Her solo single ‘Free Mind’ peaked at No. 46 and went on to set a record as the longest-running No. 1 song by a female artist on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, spending 17 weeks at the top.
Tems also appeared on Beyoncé’s ‘Move’, alongside Grace Jones, which peaked at No. 55, and Dave’s ‘Raindance’, which entered the Hot 100 in 2026 following its success as a No. 1 song on the U.K. Singles Chart.
Tems’ continued success highlights her growing global influence and underscores the rising presence of African artists on major international music charts.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
