I Used to Be a Tomboy Before, Before My Ex-Husband Rebranded Me – Tiwa Savage reveals
Afrobeats queen Tiwa Savage has unfolded about her transformation from a laid-lend a hand tomboy to at least one of Nigeria’s most recognizable intercourse symbols within the music replace.
Talking candidly on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, Tiwa shared that her now-iconic image didn’t delivery out as intentional, it modified into a calculated transfer fashioned by replace requires and her worn supervisor.
Before returning to Nigeria to open her music profession, Tiwa Savage labored at the lend a hand of the scenes as a songwriter in Los Angeles, on the total spotted in outsized denims and T-shirts. In step with her, her fashion modified into removed from the glamorous image she is now known for.
“I modified into naturally a tomboy. I prone to work in studios wearing baggy denims and T-shirts,” she mentioned.
That all and sundry modified when Tunji “Teebillz” Balogun, her ex-husband and then-supervisor, suggested a rebrand. Teebillz believed Tiwa may per chance per chance well per chance maintain a hole out there by offering the Nigerian equivalent of Beyoncé or Rihanna—a fearless, sultry female performer who wasn’t insecure to embody her femininity on stage.
“He mentioned, ‘Or no longer it’s far significant to descend some weight, trail to the gymnasium, wax your brows, assign on wigs.’ He most incessantly reshaped my appearance,” she published.
The transformation modified into met with mixed reactions, critically when her 2014 single “Wished” dropped. The video showcased a fearless aspect of Tiwa that sparked conversations all the procedure by means of the nation.
“There modified into a good deal of press saying I wouldn’t be clean anymore on fable of I correct bought married. I needed to expose them nasty,” she explained.
On the different hand, the contemporary image came with backlash. Tiwa mentioned she confronted criticism from tournament organizers, some of whom reportedly denied her stage fetch admission to thanks to her outfits. Her early hit, “Fancy Me”, modified into even banned on TV at one level.
“There had been instances I waited backstage, and so that they wouldn’t call me up on fable of any individual’s wife didn’t desire me performing in skimpy garments,” she mentioned.
Feeling unhappy, she hasty returned to L.A., entirely to be known as lend a hand by her physique of workers after followers, critically women, began embracing her outlandish fashion and narrate. No topic being rejected by prime Nigerian labels take care of Storm Files, Mo’Hits, and EME, Tiwa pushed by means of.
“I knocked on every door and so all of them mentioned no. But I didn’t stop,” she added.
Currently, Tiwa Savage stands mighty as a global Afrobeats icon, known no longer correct for her vocal energy but additionally for her fearless vogue and unapologetic confidence.
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