Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has become the first African female artist to earn a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Diamond-certified single in the United States.
She attained the milestone for the song “Wait For U”, her acclaimed collaboration with American rapper Future featuring Canadian rapper Drake, after the song surpassed 10 million certified units in the US.
Global music monitoring platform Chart Data revealed on its X page that the song has sold over 11 million units in the U.S.
The platform wrote: “US Certifications (@RIAA): Future (@1future) Feat. @Drake & @temsbaby, WAIT FOR U 11x Platinum (11,000,000) ”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tems now joins Wizkid as the only African artist to earn a Diamond single in the US.
Wizkid was the first African artist to receive a RIAA Diamond Certification through his collaboration with Drake on ‘One Dance’.
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.
Fans have taken to social media to celebrate the latest achievement, describing it as another proud moment for Nigeria and the African music industry.
Many said the feat reflects the increasing global acceptance of Afrobeats and the growing influence of Nigerian artistes on the international stage. (NAN)
