Tiwa Savage

Tiwa Savage stands among West Africa’s most prominent pop figures, boasting a string of chart successes and global honors. She first entered the industry supplying backing vocals and penning material for others before unveiling a distinctive dance-pop blend that fuses Afro-pop, reggae, and modern R&B, delivered in both English and Yoruba, during the early 2010s. By the arrival of her 2013 debut Once Upon a Time she already commanded major attention, and throughout the ensuing decade she sustained a flow of hits while broadening her international profile through festival and venue appearances plus a contribution to the 2019 soundtrack The Lion King: The Gift. Subsequent projects such as 2020’s Celia and the 2021 Water & Garri EP introduced vintage Afrobeat textures and lyrics centered on social awareness and female empowerment. In 2024 she co-produced and starred in the film Water & Garri, which was released alongside its soundtrack.

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Tiwatope Savage relocated with her family to England at age 11. In the late ’90s she built a reputation as a session vocalist and abandoned accounting after Mary J. Blige sought her services. Despite holding a business administration degree from Kent University, she advanced her musical training via a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Before completing her studies she reached the final 24 on series three of The X Factor (U.K.). Over the next several years she strengthened her standing through further background work, including a credit on Whitney Houston’s I Look to You (2009), and accumulated songwriting placements on multiple releases, among them Fantasia’s Grammy-nominated Back to Me.

Savage launched her solo career in 2010 via the self-released single “Kele Kele Love,” produced by Harmony Samuels. After signing with Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records in 2012 she featured on the label’s Solar Plexus compilation and finally issued her long-awaited debut album Once Upon a Time in 2013. That same year she earned a MOBO Award nomination for Best African Act and captured the Best Female prize at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards. She secured multiple endorsement contracts and participated in youth-empowerment initiatives that funded school construction in Nigeria. Her second album R.E.D. arrived in late 2015, largely produced by Jazzy. In 2016 she finalized a management and publishing agreement with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and appeared at the 2017 Made in America festival. Her EP Sugarcane followed that year, showcasing contributions from Wizkid and Maleek Berry among others.

Following a sold-out headline performance at London’s Indigo venue in 2018, Savage was named Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards. She entered a publishing and distribution deal with Universal Music Group in 2019. Her duet with Mr. Eazi, “Keys to the Kingdom,” appeared on Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, while the Fela Kuti-inspired single “49-99” marked her first release on the Universal-distributed Motown imprint. Later that year she guested on Coldplay’s eighth studio album Everyday Life. Her third full-length, Celia—named for her mother—emerged in 2020 with guest spots from Sam Smith, Stefflon Don, and Davido, reaching the Top 20 on Billboard’s World Albums chart. She returned in 2021 with the EP Water & Garri, highlighted by the track “Somebody’s Son” featuring Brandy.

In 2022 she issued the Zinoleesky collaboration “Jaiye Foreign” and joined Major League Djz and DJ Maphorisa on Major Lazer’s “Koo Koo Fun,” as well as releasing “Loaded” with Asake. Tracks with Majeeed and Blaq Jerzee preceded the major 2023 successes “Stamina” (with Ayra Starr and Young Jonn) and the solo single “Pick Up.” Water & Garri (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) surfaced in 2024; the film, co-produced by Savage and Meji Alabi, starred Savage in the lead role.