Q&A: Temi T Is Redefining What Spoken Word Can Be In “Painted Intentions”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY DANIELLE HOLIAN ☆
TEMI T STANDS AS A REMINDER THAT ART CANNOT, AND SHOULD NOT, BE CONFINED. At once a poet, performer and genre-defying artist, Temi has carved out a space where words move as fluidly as melodies, and where the weight of lived experience becomes not just a lyric, but a force. To encounter Temi’s work is to be invited into an honest, unflinching conversation, one that lingers long after the final note fades.
Temi describes their creative identity with refreshing candor: “I create based on how life happens to me.” That philosophy reverberates through their genre-bending approach, which resists labels in favor of pure feeling. Whether laughter, heartbreak, or quiet reflection, the art always insists on connection. Perhaps that is Temi’s most magnetic quality, the ability to bridge the personal and the universal, transforming intimate truths into soundscapes that resonate across audiences.
The latest single, “Painted Intentions”, exemplifies this duality. Born out of the raw ache of losing a close friendship, the track threads pain into poetry, honesty into melody. It is not a song written from a calculated decision, but from necessity. Temi recalls that on the day of recording, the grief was so present it demanded to be transmuted into art. The result is a piece that is both scathing and tender, a vulnerable reflection that dares to articulate the in-between states of love, loss and letting go.
“Painted Intentions” lives at a crossroads with its layered jazz textures, R&B smoothness, and hip-hop pulse; it creates a listening experience that is simultaneously grounded and ethereal. The spoken word delivery, Temi’s signature, is not merely narration laid over a beat, but a breathing, rhythmic instrument in itself. Every pause, every silence, feels purposeful, like a wave pulling back before crashing forward again. It is a sonic landscape as suited to late-night drives as it is to solitary reflection, demanding the listener to lean in, listen closely, and feel deeply.
Comparisons to contemporaries like Noname, Little Simz, and Arlo Parks are understandable, yet Temi’s work resists easy alignment. Spoken word remains a niche within the mainstream, but Temi reimagines its potential, showing how it can both honor tradition and innovate boldly. It’s this distinctiveness that makes their artistry so compelling, the sense that we are witnessing not an imitation of influence, but the birth of a singular voice.
What underpins all of this is vulnerability. Temi admits to wrestling with how much of themselves to reveal, often editing back before ultimately returning to the raw core. It is precisely this openness, however, that fuels their connection with listeners. The courage to tell one’s truth, even at the risk of misunderstanding, becomes an act of liberation, not only for the artist but for anyone who recognizes their own story mirrored within the words.
As Temi looks ahead, excitement is palpable. With an EP on the horizon, another single soon to arrive, and a growing reputation as a live performer whose presence captivates, this is not merely a chapter but the beginning of an unfolding era. For now, though, we are fortunate to step inside Temi’s world, where spoken word breathes new life into music, and where honesty, no matter how heavy, always finds its voice.
Keep reading for a conversation with Temi T to discuss passion, growth and what comes next in her ever-evolving journey.
LUNA: Thank you for sitting down and talking with Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music. For anyone who isn't familiar yet, what inspires your artistic style and creative persona?
TEMI: I'm a poet, an artist and I create based on how life happens to me. My artistic style is genre bending, so I always struggle to define it at times. What I do say is, my art is here to make people feel. It might make you laugh, it might make you cry, but you'll definitely feel something!
LUNA: Congratulations on your new single, "Painted Intentions." The song is such a vulnerable piece, rooted in the story of losing a close friendship. What was the turning point that made you decide to translate that pain into music?
TEMI: It was unexpected, I never planned to write about this. But the day we recorded this single, I couldn't think or talk about anything else during the session. That was the point we realized it wasn't going to go away until I made something of this pain.
LUNA: You describe the song as balancing scathing honesty with tenderness. How did you strike that emotional balance in your writing?
TEMI: I'll initially write with no filter, that's the version nobody sees (and thank God for that). Once I have my lyrics down unfiltered, I begin to take out the heavily emotional parts that can just stay in the journal. I then start structuring it in a way that can deliver the message in an artistic way.
LUNA: The track feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. Were you thinking about your listeners while creating it, or was it purely an outlet for yourself?
TEMI: It was a bit of both, I wanted to tell my truth fully, that's what I focused on with the writing. I've learnt there are very rare unique human experiences, if I've felt this someone else has too. So in that way, the listeners are always a part of my process.
LUNA: Spoken word often blurs the line between poetry and music. How do you approach blending those worlds in your creative process?
TEMI: Every poem I write, I have a natural feel for the kind of sound I can imagine behind it. Sometimes I'll hear instruments playing in my head when I'm writing. I take those ideas to the studio, and my producer Gustavo is a wizard at developing the musical production side of things. He's good at translating what's in my head onto a beat.
LUNA: The production layers jazz, R&B, and hip-hop elements under your spoken word. How intentional was this fusion in shaping the mood of the song?
TEMI: Extremely intentional. I'm a lover of jazz, so a lot of my projects feature layers of jazz. For Painted Intentions, I specifically wanted more R&B and hip-hop fused into it to make it a smooth, palatable listen. This contrasts with the heavier lyrics, it gives a good balance and is great for a late night drive.
LUNA: Your work is often compared to artists like Noname, Little Simz, and Arlo Parks. Do you see yourself in that lineage, or do you feel you’re carving a different space?
TEMI: I'm a fan of these artists so inadvertently I am inspired by their sound. I guess that comes through in my work. I do however feel I'm carving a different space as spoken word is more of a niche.
LUNA: Silence and pauses play a big role in your performance style. How do you decide when the music should breathe versus when it should push forward?
TEMI: Most of my vocals are recorded in one or two takes, so it's really how I naturally move with the music. It is like inhaling and exhaling within the spaces, like a wave. A blue wave.
I consider myself more of a live stage performer, than a studio artist, so I record how I'd perform it live.
LUNA: "Painted Intentions" encourages listeners to reflect on their own relationships. What’s the biggest lesson you hope people take away from it?
TEMI: I hope people take away that everyone has their own story and you should tell yours. Betrayal is unfortunately a part of life for people, a little crashout is okay here and there. But ultimately, you can love things and still let it go when it's not right. And you should, friendships, relationships, anything.
LUNA: Has there been a moment in the studio recently where you thought: Yes, this is exactly what Temi T sounds like?
TEMI: Yes. I had this moment with Painted Intentions. It had been a few weeks since I recorded and I hadn't listened to it since. I sat in my car, played it and was kind of blown away. Like, "I did this?!"
LUNA: You’ve mentioned the struggle of telling your truth when others may not see it the same way. How do you reconcile honesty with the fear of being misunderstood?
TEMI: Ultimately, it's a conscious choice that has to be made. You have to choose to not care, and be okay with people having their own perception of you. Perception is everything, we all have our own realities and it's not my job to change someone else's.
LUNA: You’ve spoken about how much you’ve matured as an artist. In what ways do you feel your artistry has evolved since your earlier work?
TEMI: I've developed in confidence over the years, which means I'm experimenting more and creating these really cool, new sounds. I've also started creative directing my own visuals, I see beyond the page and the track into something much bigger.
LUNA: Spoken word is often underrepresented in mainstream music. What do you hope your voice adds to the current landscape?
TEMI: I hope more people wake up to the art form, I see it already happening. A lot of musicians are featuring spoken word artists now, I hope to see more of that. I hope my voice demonstrates how versatile spoken word actually can be, I don't think there's a spoken word artist that sounds like me.
LUNA: Vulnerability is central to your work. Do you ever struggle with how much of yourself to share, or is openness a non-negotiable part of your artistry?
TEMI: I do struggle with it, I over edit to try and remove some vulnerability. But end up reverting because I realise the vulnerability is what makes the work what it is. I have to remind myself that's what made people like my work when I first started. So although I struggle, yes it's a non-negotiable.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career, and what does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna?
TEMI: I'm so excited right now. I have a lot in the pipeline that I can't wait to share, including my EP which will have “Painted Intentions” on the tracklist. I'll be releasing another single before then.
