Nigerian singer, Tems says she was subjected to taunts and ridicule while growing up due to her the pitch of her voice, which many felt was ugly.
The Essence singer said she her peers comparing her voice to a boy or a frog, which deeply impacted her self-esteem.
Speaking in an interview with The Cut, Tems said she stopped speaking until age three to prevent being bullied for her ‘ugly voice’.
“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” Tems recounted.
The musician said she found solace in being alone and focused on her music career.
“I was always in my own 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” Tems said.
