Nigerian singer Tems has announced her debut album, Born in the Wild, will release June 7 via Since ’93/RCA Records.
“Born in the Wild is actually about my journey,” Tems told Eddie Francis on Apple Music 1. “It’s about my experience as me and about the experiences I’ve had so far. And it really felt like the life I lived before, the life I was accustomed to, felt like a wilderness.”
Tems added, “Yes, I was raised in Lagos, and that’s a part of me, but it’s not really about the place; it’s more about the state of being. It was a wilderness in the environment I lived in and there’s so many things that happened and so many lessons I learned to come and be this person now. It is basically coming out of the wilderness.”
Born in the Wild will include the lead single “Love Me JeJe,” which interpolates Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 classic of the same name. (Sodimu makes a cameo in Tems’ self-directed video.)
“Jeje is African, and Jeje also just means the concept of the song — it just means love me softly, take your time with me, love me unconditionally, and show me good love,” Tems explained.
While Tems released standalone singles in 2023 — “Me & U” and “Not An Angel” — it’s not confirmed if they will appear on the album’s tracklist at this time.
Born in the Wild will mark Tems’ first project since 2021’s If Orange Was A Place. The four-track EP included the Brent Fayaiz-assisted “Found.”
Tems will support her debut album on her headlining Born in the Wild World Tour, with special guests Naomi Sharon and Lekan.
The U.K./Europe leg begins June 16 at Eventim Apollo in London. From there, Tems will perform in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and more before wrapping up July 16 at Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland.
The North American leg kicks off Aug. 22 at The Fillmore in Miami Beach. Tems will make additional stops in Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and more before concluding Oct. 1 in Los Angeles.
The Australian leg will commence Nov. 9 in Melbourne and conclude Nov. 15 in Sydney. According to the tour poster (available below), Tems has two dates in Africa and a show in Asia on the books; however, the locations have not been revealed yet.
See Tems’ tour dates below.
Tems’ Born in the Wild World Tour 2024 Dates
U.K./European Leg
Jun 12 – London, England @ Eventim Apollo
Jun 15 – Paris, France @ L’Olympia
Jun 30 – Brussels, Belgium @ Atomium
Jul 4 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
Jul 8 – Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
Jul 10 – Cologne, Germany @ Carlswerk Victoria
Jul 12 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
Jul 13 – Rotterdam, Netherlands @ North Sea Jazz Festival
Jul 16 – Montreux, Switzerland @ Montreux Casino
North American Leg
Aug 22 – Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore
Aug 24 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Aug 26 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom at Gilley’s
Aug 28 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
Aug 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
Sep 1 – Washington, D.C. @ The Anthem
Sep 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
Sep 5 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
Sep 7 – Toronto, Ontario @ History
Sep 11 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
Sep 13 – Montreal, Quebec @ L’Olympia
Sep 15 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Sep 17 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
Sep 22 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Sep 25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
Sep 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
Sep 29 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels
Oct 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
Australian Leg
Oct 9 – Melbourne, Victoria @ Margaret Court Arena
Oct 12 – Brisbane, Queensland @ Fortitude Music Hall
Oct 15 – Sydney, New South Wales @ The Hordern Pavilion
Get tickets to Tems’ Born in the Wild Tour here. Pre-save her debut album, Born in the Wild, here.