Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has shared that she wasn’t always the glamorous, sexy diva fans know today. In fact, she described herself as a tomboy before entering the music scene.
According to Savage, during her time as a songwriter abroad, she typically wore baggy clothes and had a more laid-back style. That changed when she met her ex-husband and former manager, Tunji Balogun, popularly known as Teebillz, who helped rebrand her image.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast with Joey Akan, she recalled how Teebillz transformed her into a sex symbol after she returned to Nigeria to pursue a career as a recording artist.
Tiwa Savage: “I Was Naturally a Tomboy, But Teebillz Rebranded Me Into a Sexy Diva”
Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has opened up about her early struggles with image, identity, and acceptance in the Nigerian music industry. Speaking on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, the singer revealed that her bold, sexy persona was never a part of her original identity — in fact, she considered herself a tomboy.
Reflecting on her 2014 music video for Wanted, Savage said,
“The sexiness in that video felt groundbreaking at the time. I had just gotten married, and the press was saying things like, ‘She’s not desirable anymore. She’s finished. Her time is gone. There are new people now.’ So, I thought — let me do something crazy. That video was me being rebellious.”
She added,
“Honestly, being sexy wasn’t even my goal. That’s not who I am naturally. I’m a tomboy by default. But TJ [Tunji Balogun], my ex-husband and then-manager, saw a gap in the market. He told me I had to lose weight, hit the gym, wax my brows, start wearing wigs — he completely transformed my look. When he met me in L.A., I was just a songwriter in baggy jeans and T-shirts.”
Savage explained that their return to Nigeria came with intense criticism:
“He wanted to present the African Rihanna or Beyoncé, and I said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ But once we got to Nigeria, my fashion sense drew a lot of backlash. I even ran back to L.A. at some point. It was bad — I’d be backstage at shows and wouldn’t get called up because maybe a governor’s wife disapproved of my outfits. Some even said, ‘Don’t let her perform in those skimpy dresses.’”
She recalled a low moment when her hit song Love Me was banned from TV.
“I was discouraged,” she said. “But Bizzle called and told me that the ladies were actually loving me. That gave me the confidence to return. I’ve told this story before — I went to every major label at the time: Storm Records, Mo’Hits, Banky W’s EME — and they all said no.”
