Grammy award-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems, has revealed that she was bullied growing up because of the tone of her voice.
Recall that Tems revealed that she began making music because of her introverted nature and lack of friends.
She explained that her music is meant for people who can relate to her experiences and emotions.
Tems stated in an interview with The Cut that she didn’t start talking until the age of three. She said that because her voice wasn’t like other girls, she was self-conscious as a child.
She said;
“I was bullied to the point of tears and was a target of ridicule. This led to the belief that I sounded like a boy, or a frog, with the impression that my voice was ugly.
I was always in my little world. When I did make friends, I would try to make them sing my songs, and other girls had these sweet, high voices and my voice had a bass.”