Koko, London
With fiery jamming and belted notes, the Nigerian singer is so vigorous she has a wardrobe malfunction – but is even more powerful in pared-back moments
Tems is Afrobeats’ current golden girl, playing a summer of sold-out shows in the capital. The only way to see the Nigerian singer on stage is to cock your head and close one eye; her crowd full of early twentysomethings all jostle to get to the front, handheld fans in tow, determined to brave the tail end of the day’s heatwave.
When she arrives she appears pleasantly coy, even coquettish to her audience. She glows under mood lighting: “It’s so hot but you still came out,” she says sweetly. But when she sings any shyness is quickly put to bed; songs like Vibe Out become more like fiery jam sessions than their soothing originals, complete with guitar solos and copious hair-swinging.