Before the release of her 2020 debut EP For Broken Ears, Tems was fresh out of college and working a digital marketing job in her native Nigeria—a situation the singer later described as “miserable.” Tems, then in her early 20s, had been writing, singing, and producing music for several years, but didn’t plan on releasing any of it—she took a leap of faith. Quitting her marketing job, Tems dove headfirst into her music, releasing her first single, “Mr Rebel.” The introspective For Broken Ears followed—as did Tems’ meteoric rise. “Interference” is the opening track on this seven-track set—a song that puts Tems’ vulnerability on full display. Then there’s “Higher,” which Tems wrote in 2018, and which was later sampled on Future and Drake’s 2022 hit single “WAIT FOR U” (the tune earned Tems a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance). It wasn’t Tems’ only chart success: The captivating tone and energy she displays on For Broken Ears led to an appearance on Wizkid’s sleeper hit “Essence,” which became the unofficial song of the summer in 2020. For Broken Ears catapulted the singer and producer to stardom, while also making clear Tems’ long-term goals: to create her music out of love, and to share it with the world.