Nigerian music sensation Tiwa Savage has opened up about her transformation from a tomboyish songwriter into one of the most glamorous figures in Afrobeats. During a revealing chat on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, the singer disclosed that her early years in the music industry were far from the sexy image she’s now known for.
According to Tiwa Savage, her image overhaul began after she returned to Nigeria from the U.S., where she worked behind the scenes as a songwriter. Back then, she dressed in baggy jeans and t-shirts and had no interest in glamor. It wasn’t until she teamed up with her ex-husband and former manager, Tunji “Teebillz” Balogun, that things started to change.
“Teebillz saw that there was a gap in the market and he was just like, you’ve to lose weight, you’ve to go to the gym, you’ve to start waxing your eyebrows. You’ve to start wearing wigs. He literally changed my whole appearance,” she recalled. “I was not like that in L.A. when he met me.”
Tiwa Savage pointed to the release of her 2014 video for “Wanted” as a turning point in her public image. It sparked controversy and backlash, especially as she had just gotten married and some in the press claimed her appeal had faded.
“That was me being rebellious,” she said. “I was like, Oh! You guys think I’m not sexy anymore?… To be honest, that wasn’t the aim, to just try to be sexy. Because naturally, I’m not. Naturally, I’m a tomboy.”
Despite Teebillz’s vision to present her as an “African Rihanna or Beyoncé,” Savage’s bold new image wasn’t welcomed by everyone. She revealed that she faced pushback from show promoters and even had performances cancelled due to her outfits.
“I would go to shows and I would be waiting backstage and they wouldn’t call me because maybe the governor’s wife had said I can’t come up,” she recounted. “There was a time, ‘Love Me’ was banned on TV.”
Tiwa Savage eventually returned to Los Angeles, disheartened. But a timely call from industry insider Bizzle reignited her passion. “He told me ladies were loving me, so I came back to Nigeria.”
Tiwa Savage also revealed that her path wasn’t easy—she was turned down by major labels, including Mo’Hits, Storm Records, and EME. But her perseverance paid off, and today, she stands as a trailblazer for female artists in Nigeria and beyond.
