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.
This marks another historic achievement for Nigerian music on the global stage.
The milestone was achieved through ‘Wait for U’, her collaboration with American rapper Future and Canadian superstar Drake, after the song surpassed 10 million certified units in the US.
The landmark certification places Tems among a select group of international artists to receive the prestigious RIAA Diamond recognition, one of the highest commercial achievements in the American music industry.
Global music monitoring platform Chart Data confirmed the achievement on its official X account, revealing that ‘Wait for U’ has now sold more than 11 million units in the United States.
With the achievement, Tems joins Grammy-winning Nigerian star Wizkid as the only African artists to earn an RIAA Diamond-certified single in the United States.
Wizkid became the first African artist to reach the milestone through his collaboration with Drake on the global hit ‘One Dance’, which received Diamond certification after surpassing the required sales threshold.
Tems’ latest accomplishment represents another significant milestone in a career that has continued to rise steadily since she gained international recognition for her distinctive voice, songwriting ability and genre-blending sound.
The singer, widely recognised for her project ‘Love is a Kingdom’, has consistently expanded her global profile through collaborations with some of the world’s biggest recording artists.
Tems has won multiple Grammy Awards while receiving nominations for several other prestigious global music honours, achievements that have cemented her status as one of Africa’s most celebrated recording artistes.
The latest achievement also reflects the increasing international demand for Afrobeats and the growing influence of Nigerian artistes across the global entertainment industry.
