The music industry has long been a bastion of male dominance, but a new generation of African female artistes is shattering glass ceilings and breaking down barriers. Tems, Ayra Starr, and Tyla are at the forefront of this revolution, inspiring a new wave of female musicians and redefining the sound of African music.
In celebration of this year’s Women’s History Month, leading providers of music streaming services, Spotify shines a spotlight on these young African female powerhouses whose emergence as trailblazers in the African soundscape stands as prepotent evidence to female alteration and impact.
Through their talent and determination –innovative spirit, creativity, and perseverance– they are breaking barriers, pushing boundaries, changing the narrative with their groundbreaking achievements and inspiring a new generation of women in the industry. 2024 saw their stories take center stage through landmark album releases.
From Essence to Born in the Wild: Tems’ Remarkable Rise to Global Superstardom
Born Temilade Openiyi and known professionally as Tems, has continued to break barriers with her unique blend of R&B, Afrobeats, and hip-hop that has captivated audiences worldwide, earning her critical acclaim and commercial success.
Her music is a testament to her strength and resilience, inspiring young women to find their voice and assert their independence. She is the first female African artiste to achieve 1 billion Spotify streams, cementing her place in music history while opening doors for generations to come.
She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid’s 2020 single Essence, which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song Fountains by Canadian rapper Drake.
The same year also, she released her debut extended play (EP), For Broken Ears, and followed with her second extended play, If Orange Was a Place in 2021, and released after she inked a record deal with RCA Records.
In 2022, Tems’ vocals from her song Higher were sampled by Future on his single, Wait for U, which led to her being credited as a featured artiste alongside Drake on the song. It debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first African artiste to debut at No.1 and the second Nigerian artiste to top the chart. The song earned her the Grammy Award for ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’.
She covered Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack album in July 2022 and in the same month, her song Free Mindfrom her debut EP debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 46 and breaking the female record for longest charting number one song on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
Tems co-wrote and rendered background vocals on the song Lift Me Up by Rihanna, which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
In 2024, she released her debut studio album Born in the Wild to critical acclaim. The album reached the top 30 in the Netherlands, Switzerland and in the United Kingdom where it peaked at No. 24.
Tems made history at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards with three nominations –the highest for an African act– Best Global Music Album for Born in the Wild, Best R&B song which she won for Burning and Best African Music Performance for Love Me JeJe.
So far in her career, Tems has received many accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, four NAACP Image Awards, four BET Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards.
Ayra Starr: From Local Choirs to Global Recognition
With voice has been described in the media as ‘silky’, ‘cozy’, ‘delicate’, ‘sturdy’, ‘arresting’ and ‘soulful’, and music critics noting the dynamic nature of her range and emotional delivery, Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe known professionally as Ayra Starr at just 21 years old had already made a name for herself in the music industry.
Having been raised in a music-loving family, her interest in singing comes mostly from her family. At the age of 10, she sang in a high school choir and began writing songs with her brother. Her fusion of traditional Yoruba sounds and modern production techniques showcases her innovative spirit and creative ingenuity.
Starr’s lyrics, a concoction of English, Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba, often explores contemporary topics such as love, relationships, empowerment and freedom. She has been praised for her energetic performances, captivating stage presence, and catchy Afro-pop sound.
She achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her hit single Rush. The song charted in several territories, including Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 24, and earned her a nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance.
Starr began her career in early 2021, with the release of her eponymous debut extended play and its lead single Away, which spent two consecutive weeks at No.4 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 chart. The song also peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Top Triller Global chart. It was followed by the release of her debut studio album, 19 & Dangerous (2021).
Categorized mainly as Afropop and R&B, the album received favourable critical reception and spawned two top forty hits in Nigeria. The lead single Bloody Samaritan peaked atop the Top 50 chart, becoming the first solo song by a female artiste to reach the number-one position.
In August the same year, Starr was ranked number three on Billboard’s Next Big Sound. She released her introspective sophomore album, The Year I Turned 21 in 2024. The project marked a significant evolution in her craft, reflecting themes of self-discovery, love, grief and empowerment.
According to her, the album title was inspired by her transition into adulthood, describing it as “not just about the age, but about the growth, self-discovery, and lessons I’ve learned along the way,” she said.
Tyla: From Jo’burg To Global Stardom
With a dream to become the first global pop star from Africa and a total of 27 industry awards from 93 nominations in her kitty, South African singer-songwriter Tyla Laura Seethal known mononymously as Tyla is taking the music world by storm with her unique blend of pop and amapiano. Hence she has since been deemed the ‘Queen of Popiano’, a fusion of the pop and amapiano genres, infused with elements of R&B and Afrobeats.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, she gained global recognition after the release of her 2023 viral hit single Water, which entered the top 10 in multiple countries including her native South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Tyla’s music is a testament to her determination and perseverance, inspiring young women to chase their dreams and never give up. Apart from catapulting her to international stardom, Water also earned her the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance, cementing her position as a trailblazer in the industry and youngest African artiste in history to win a Grammys.
The song became the first song by a South African soloist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years. It single preceded her self-titled debut album (2024), which was released to critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, entering the top 25 in multiple countries including the United States.
Her other accolades include an MTV Video Music Award, two BET Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards and the honorary Global Force Award at the first Billboard R&B’s No. 1’s, among nominations for a Brit Award, an Ivor Novello Award, a Soul Train Music Award and nine South African Music Awards.
As we reflect on women’s contributions and progress in the game through Women’s History Month, these trends in music and podcast consumption reveal how African female artistes, the trailblazer in particular, are not just participating in culture but actively reimagining and recreating it.
One thing is clear, Tems, Ayra Starr, and Tyla are here to stay; they’re leading the charge, breaking down barriers, and building a legacy that will inspire generations to come. The trio are more than just talented musicians – they’re game-changers. Their music is a reflection of their strength, resilience, and creativity, inspiring young women to find their voice and assert their independence.
Ayra Starr’s introspective The Year I Turned 21 and Tems’ bold Born in the Wild have dominated charts in Nigeria and Ghana, offering nuanced explorations of young womanhood in contemporary Africa.
The statistics confirm this cultural shift, with female listenership surging across the region. Ni
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