Last week as temperatures in London hit a record high of 40 degrees, global songstress Tems put on a show at KOKO Camden that would still stand to be the hottest thing going on that night. The first of two previously postponed shows, the anticipation for this sought after event was ground-swelling – fans eager to see the Nigerian superstar live in the flesh.
Coming in the midst of an amazing run, the past year has seen Tems sky rocket, collaborating with the likes of Wizkid, Justin Bieber, Future, Drake and recently announced, Beyonce. Grammy-nominated, BET Award-winning and all prior to releasing a debut album. This July we experienced the fruition of all.
Fans old and new queued down Camden High Street and filtered into the vibe-heavy venue. A moodily lit stage provided the back drop for the first act to brace the stage – Rachel Chinouriri, coming through an angelic set. Then next was Tems, her appearance alone invoking an eruption of screams. Joining a live band, the stage was set and phones clutched ready for her first note.
Kicking things off with sultry cult classic “Higher”, the singer made a nod to her first EP, For Broken Ears. Next pivoting to tracks from her most recent EP If Orange Was A Place, she gave us energetic renditions of “Avoid Things” and “Replay” before bringing it back to one of her breakout hits “Damages”.
Continuing on the theme of her first EP she belted bangers “The Key” and “Ice T”. The show well and truly kicked off now; in true rockstar fashion Tems stopped to request scissors to cut off the flowy sleeves of her blue ensemble and to everyones amusement, she did in fact cut them before embarking on the second half of the show.
Post intermission saw the genre-defying talent performing another oldie but goodie with “Interference”, seamlessly succeeded by her debut “Mr Rebel”. A jam-packed show to say the least, Tems was joined by two beautiful singers whose voices layered with hers impressively. “Found”, “Looku Looku” and “Try Me” preceding an explosive sing along of Wizkid’s smash hit “Essence”, Tems’ vocals sung back at her.
As the show began to come to a close, the Nigerian multi-facet gave us a rendition of “Crazy Tings” alongside a fittingly crazy guitar solo from her talented guitarist. And then came “Free Mind”, another one of Tems’ earlier hits. Hanging onto every word, fans cheered as she gushed on stage giving thanks. The room undoubtedly filled with love.
Many leaving the venue content as the band played the crowd out. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter delivered an exceptional set and proved just why she deserves to be a world-renowned name.
[Image: Bethany Daniel @Bettencourt]