For one of the biggest performances of his career, Tems called on one of the biggest pop stars in the industry: Justin Bieber.
The Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer delivered a set at Coachella 2024 on Sunday night (April 14) and brought out the big guns in the form of Bieber and Wizkid, who both took the stage to perform their hit ” Essence “.
The fans were warned. “Coachella!” I’m so excited, I have a surprise tonight,” she wrote earlier on X.
Originally released in 2020 and recorded with Bieber and fellow Afrobeats star Wizkid, “Essence” was a real slow burner, impactful Billboardin the charts nine months after its release. Wizkid & co. would reign over BillboardR&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in September 2021 with “Essence,” making history along the way. “Essence” also cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and would enter the top 10 (peaking at No. 9) – becoming the first Afrobeats song to do so.
Bieber is no stranger to breaking records. At 27, the Canadian pop singer became the youngest solo artist in history to land 100 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat he achieved in 2021.
The singer has remained relatively quiet since June 2022, when he revealed his diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, with one side of his face suffering from “total paralysis”. On Sunday night, he showed no side effects as he walked the Coachella stage. Watch below.
Bieber’s performance will surely send Beliebers into a frenzy and renew hopes for new concert dates following his health issues, which contributed to the cancellation of his Justice 2022 world tour.
That enthusiasm kicked into high gear earlier this year, when Bieber performed a surprise short set of classics and recent hits at Drake’s 2,500-capacity History club downtown, and, earlier, hinted at new music to come.
time was BillboardThe 2024 Women in Music Breakthrough recipient told reporters ahead of the event, “I really want to take this opportunity to say to all the women in the room, around the world, that no matter what you’re going through, you should know that you are not alone. So even when you’re sad, even when you’re angry, there’s someone who’s also angry. So encourage everyone around you because they need this, just like you, and someone is there for you,” she concluded her speech. “It’s the women who got the women, believe me.”
She already said Billboard, “Everyone called me Temi. No one really called me by my full name. It wasn’t something that worried me. Only now, as an adult, have I begun to realize that it means “the crown is mine.” I think it’s really powerful. It manifests itself, based on how my life has gone.
Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat and Lana Del Rey lead the pack headlining this year’s 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. This weekend is the first of two Coachella weekends 2024, held in the desert of Southern California.
