This November, Tems’ cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” will appear on the soundtrack of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A portion of her cover appeared in a trailer for the movie, which was revealed in July, and an EP containing the song was released shortly after. This weekend, Tems performed the song live for the first time at Global Citizen Festival in Ghana.
Omggg, Tems performed “No Woman, No Cry” for the first time at #GlobalCitizenFestival
— tems 𝖘z𝖓 (@temsszn) September 24, 2022
Joined by a backing band, Tems is seen in a fan-shared clip singing the song with her vocals just about matching the quality of those on the studio recording. The crowd mirrors her energy, particularly as she gets to the bridge, singing along, as Tems repeats, “everything’s gonna be alright, everything’s gonna be alright.”
Tems has come a long way in the past five years. In an interview with GQ UK, she revealed that in 2017, the year before she released her debut single, “Mr. Rebel,” she was living alone and struggling financially.
“There were times when I was not just broke – I was broke and hopeless,” she said. “I used to steal food. I used to go to my aunty’s house just so she could give me food to take home,” she says. “I just felt like, What is the point of me existing right now? You have to remember those times. Because that person does not exist anymore.”
Over the course of the past year, she’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including Drake, Future, and Beyoncé. Not to mention, she’s contributed to the soundtrack of one of the year’s most anticipated films.
Check out the performance of “No Woman, No Cry” above.
>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters 11/11.
