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Scores of new artists snag hits in a given year, but few truly break through and create a lasting impact on the global music scene and popular culture. Tems is one of those artists. The Nigerian singer-songwriter has used her lush amalgamation of Afrobeats, soul and hip-hop to become one of the leading female artists in the global Afrobeats boom of the early 2020s.
As the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Breakthrough Artist honoree, Tems joins an exclusive list of movers and shakers that includes Idina Menzel, Maren Morris, Camila Cabello, TWICE and Tori Kelly. To illustrate why the Grammy winner is a true breakthrough artist, Billboard Explains has put together a brief overview of Tems’ impressive chart success.
Tems made her Billboard Hot 100 debut back in 2021 with “Essence,” a collaboration with fellow Afrobeats star Wizkid and Justin Bieber that reached No. 9 on the ranking. The following year, she translated that momentum into her first Hot 100 No. 1 single — “Wait for U” (with Future and Drake), which spent one week atop the chart. Her other Hot 100 hits include “Fountains” (No. 26, with Drake), “Move” (No. 55, with Beyoncé and Grace Jones) and “Free Mind” (No. 46), a single from her debut EP For Broken Ears, which reached No. 28 on Independent Albums.
“Free Mind” and “Essence” are also Tems’ two chart-toppers on Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs, where she boasts 15 career entries. “Higher,” which was sampled on Future’s “Wait for U,” reached No. 5 on the chart in 2022.
With a debut studio album set for release in 2024, Tems is poised to own the coming year and further solidify her breakthrough.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.
Tems:I am all about giving back. I’m all about being there for the people that need me and being a part of something that is bigger than myself. Alyssa Caverley:Nigerian singer Tems has truly broken through to become a huge sensation, and Billboard‘s Women In Music is honoring the talented singer. She first charted on […]
Singer-songwriter Maren Morris is among the 2024 Billboard Women in Music honorees, where she will be honored with the Visionary award.
Billboard takes a deep dive into Morris’ crossover chart successes that have make her a force on both the country and all-genre charts. Since her debut with “My Church” in 2016, Morris has fashioned a mesh of country, pop and R&B that has resonated with fans and propelled her to seeing 12 songs cross over onto the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, including a top five hit with her 2018 track “The Middle” with Zedd and Grey.
Meanwhile, she’s earned top milestones on the Hot Country Songs chart, too. Morris’s 2020 hit “The Bones” spent 19 weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart, making it the second-longest running No. 1 on the chart by an unaccompanied solo woman in history. It also peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100.
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She’s also earned four No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, including “I Could Use a Love Song” and the Thomas Rhett duet “Craving You,” “Girl” and “The Bones.”
Her 2016 album Hero and 2019 album GIRL topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and her 2022 album Humble Quest debuted at No. 2 on the tally. GIRL also picked up the Country Music Association’s album of the year honor in 2019.
The 2024 Billboard Women in Music ceremony will be held March 6 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, and will celebrate women who are making an impact across the music industry.
Other honorees include Billboard‘s Woman of the Year honoree Karol G, Hitmaker award honoree Ice Spice, Icon honoree Kylie Minogue, Powerhouse award winner Charli XCX, Impact honoree Young Miko, Rising Star honoree Victoria Monét, Group of the Year NewJeans, Breakthrough winner TEMS and the recipient of the new Global Force award, Luísa Sonza. The evening will be hosted by actor-producer Tracee Ellis Ross.
Billboard revealed the full slate of its 2024 Women in Music honorees, across the spectrum of music industry sectors, from record labels to publishing to touring on Feb. 29.
Charli XCX occupies a very special and very rare spot in the pop music ecosystem. On the one hand, she’s the mainstream entry point into the underground, with projects such as Vroom Vroom introducing PC music to top 40 audiences back in 2016. On the other hand, she’s also known to deliver a smash single or two for the biggest films of the year and craft chart-topping collaborations with era-defining artists.
As the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Powerhouse honoree, Charli XCX stands as one of the most exciting figures in contemporary pop music. To contextualize her decade-long career, a trip through the Grammy nominee’s chart history is in order.
Charli XCX made her Billboard Hot 100 debut back in 2013 with “I Love It,” a boisterous synth-pop team-up with Icona Pop that reached No. 7 on the chart. The following year, Charli doubled up with two additional Hot 100 top 10 hits: “Boom Clap” (No. 8), the breakout song from The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack, and “Fancy” (No. 1), a monsterous smash collaboration with Iggy Azalea that spent seven weeks atop the ranking.
“Boom Clap,” in addition to fellow single “Break the Rules” (No. 91), appeared on 2014’s Sucker, which hit No. 28 on the Billboard 200, marking her first entry on the chart. She followed that up with four more entries, including 2022’s Crash (No. 7), her first Billboard 200 top 10 title. The following year, Charli revisited her soundtrack roots and cooked up “Speed Drive,” a single from Barbie the Album that hit No. 73 on the Hot 100 — her first entry on the chart in nine years.
With a catalog and career as kaleidoscopic as hers, Charli XCX is a Powerhouse through and through.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.
Charli XCXThis time I think it’s like fully 100% Charli XCX. NarratorBillboard’s Women In Music is honoring 2022 powerhouse Charli XCX. The singer first rose to fame in 2012 with some massive hits, and she’s continued her rise throughout the years. This is Billboard Explains the steady success of Charli XCX. Charli XCX has enjoyed […]
NarratorMaren Morris is always pushing the boundaries in music and in life. That’s why she’s Billboard’s Women In Music Visionary honoree. With 12 songs on the Hot 100, Maren shows no signs of slowing down. This is Billboard Explains Marin Morris’ crossover chart success. Marin Morris is a cross-genre country artist with 12 songs on […]
Narrator: Brazilian artists Luísa Sonza knows a thing or two about getting on the Billboard charts. And that’s why she’s this year as Women In Music Global Force honoree. Luísa first got her start in 2014, singing covers on YouTube and first entered the charts in 2020. This is Billboard Explains Luísa Sonza’s global force […]
True icons know a thing or two about longevity — just look at Kylie Minogue. At the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, the global superstar will be honored with the Icon Award in recognition of her hit-packed decades-long career.
Across a whopping 16 studio albums, Minogue has cemented herself as both a style chameleon and a master of musical reinvention. From bubble dance pop (1988’s Kylie) to a brave stab at country music (2018’s Golden) to last year’s disco-inflected synth-pop opus (Tension), Minogue has moved throughout her career with a special level of fearlessness.
The Australian juggernaut first hit the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1988 with the No. 3-peaking “The Loco-Motion,” a cover of Little Eva’s 1962 hit. She would once again hit the top 10 14 years later with the classic “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” (No. 7), the lead single from her Grammy-winning album Fever. With Fever, Minogue flew to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, her highest career peak yet on the ranking; she has landed 11 total titles on the chart, including 2010’s Aphrodite (No. 19).
In addition to her success on Billboard’s marquee albums and singles charts, Minogue has also proven herself to be a dominant force on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. On that ranking, she’s earned 18 overall entries so far, including the top 10 hits “Dance Alone” (No. 8, with Sia) and “Padam Padam” (No. 7), the first song to win the newly formed Grammy for best pop dance recording. “Padam Padam” also peaked at No. 32 on Pop Airplay, marking her first appearance on the ranking in nearly two decades.
With a career like this, it’s no wonder that Kylie Minogue is the Icon Award recipient for the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.
Narrator:Kylie Minogue is Billboard‘s 2024 Icon honoree at Women in Music. Throughout her decades-long career, Minogue has put out huge hits on multiple Billboard charts. This is Billboard Explains: Kylie Minogue Dancing Up the Charts. The Australian hitmaker got her first Hot 100 top 10 chart debut back in 1988 with her massive hit the […]
With a year packed with jaw-dropping collaborations (Taylor Swift! Nicki Minaj!) and countless viral moments, it’s not a stretch to say Ice Spice owned 2023. Thus, it’s only right that the Bronx emcee be honored with the Hitmaker Award at the upcoming 2024 Billboard Women In Music Awards.
After going viral with her drill-rooted “Munch” back in August 2022, the fast-rising rap star conquered 2023 with a bevy of Billboard Hot 100 smashes and culture-shifting tracks. From “Barbie World” to “Actin a Smoochie,” Ice Spice’s knack for hits garnered her four Grammy nominations, including best new artist, and a slot as an opener on Doja Cat‘s Scarlet Tour.
Ice Spice has earned eight Hot 100 entries, almost all of them hitting the chart in 2023. Four of those hits reached the chart’s top 10, including “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” (No. 3, with PinkPantheress), “Princess Diana” (No. 4, with Nicki Minaj), “Barbie World” (No. 7, with Nicki Minaj and AQUA) and the remix of Taylor Swift’s “Karma” (No. 2). Most recently, Ice’s latest single — the new jazz-inflected “Think U the Shit (Fart)” — debuted at No. 37 on the Hot 100. The “Gangsta Boo” rapper has also proved to be a force at radio, with “Princess Diana,” “Barbie World” and “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” all reaching No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay.
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Perhaps most impressively, Ice Spice has achieved all of these milestones without an official studio album. As fans await her forthcoming debut LP — titled Y2K — they can continue to spin Like..?, Ice’s debut EP. That project reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and included notable hits such as “Bikini Bottom” and “In Ha Mood.”
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.