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.
Tems achieved the historic milestone with “Wait For U,” her hit collaboration with American rapper Future and Canadian rapper Drake, after the song surpassed 10 million certified units in the U.S.
According to global music monitoring platform Chart Data, the track has now sold more than 11 million units in the United States.
The platform announced on its X page: “US Certifications (@RIAA): Future (@1future) feat. @Drake & @temsbaby, WAIT FOR U 11x Platinum (11,000,000).”
With the achievement, Tems joins Wizkid as the only African artists to earn an RIAA Diamond-certified single in the United States.
Wizkid became the first African artist to receive the prestigious certification through his collaboration with Drake on “One Dance.”
The latest feat marks another significant milestone in Tems’ fast-rising international career and further highlights the growing global recognition of Nigerian music and Afrobeats.
Since breaking into the international scene with her distinctive vocals and songwriting, the “Love Is a Kingdom” singer has continued to achieve remarkable success, winning multiple Grammy Awards, earning nominations for several global honours, and collaborating with some of the world’s biggest music stars.
Fans across social media have celebrated the achievement, describing it as another proud moment for Nigeria and the African music industry.
Many also noted that the milestone reflects the increasing global acceptance of Afrobeats and the rising influence of Nigerian artistes on the international music scene.
