Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that Tems was pregnant with Future’s child. The speculation, which gained traction after a video led some to believe she was hiding a baby bump, was swiftly denied by the Nigerian singer.
In a social media post, she humorously dismissed the gossip by stating, “In conclusion, you people are all mad!”
During her appearance on the “Drive Time Show” for The Beat 99.9 FM in Lagos on Wednesday (Dec. 13), Tems revealed the extent of the backlash she faced due to the rumor. “I didn’t actually think anybody believed it. I didn’t know it was serious. I didn’t know until I started getting messages, like death threats,” she explained. “Like, ‘How dare you? Of all the people in the world, Future? Really? Really, of all the people?’ And I’ve never even — I’ve never met him in my life. So, it’s crazy.”
Tems has since refocused on her music career. In February, she won a Grammy for her feature on Future’s “Wait For U,” which sampled her song “Higher.” She also received a Best Original Song Oscar nomination for “Lift Me Up,” performed by Rihanna for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The artist also nabbed a nod for her work on Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE.
Outside of her high-profile collaborations, Tems released “Me & U” in October, marking her first new song in two years, followed by “Not An Angel” earlier this month. “This song is about knowing your worth and moving on in life from anything holding you back,” she said of the latter track.
“Not An Angel” was written entirely by Tems and co-produced with Sarz. It served as her second solo release since 2021’s If Orange Was a Place EP.
Although an upcoming project hasn’t been confirmed yet, she spoke to Kendrick Lamar for Interview Magazine about making new tunes. Tems explained, “I want to make music that makes me pull my heart out, and if I can’t do that, I don’t want anything. I would rather do that and be broke than compromise. I didn’t really care about the money. It’s not that money is bad. Money is very good. But for me, even right now, I’m chasing a frequency.”