What could possibly be on her mind as she poses for these ‘outrageous’ pictures?
Tiwatope Savage, has proven to be resilient within Africa’s ever-growing entertainment industry. While conquering the charts in Nigeria and becoming one of the most prominent figures in the Afrobeats scene, she has also managed to carve a career as a reputable songwriter for some of today’s biggest and most successful musicians, including Beyoncé; all while balancing being a mother.
One swipe after another uncovered this piece of art she posted on Instagram with caption: Don’t swipe, towel series quiet vibes with #Celia playing in the background. All I need is me, which was followed by a love emoji; self-acclaimed Queen of Afropop, Tiwa Savage was both bashed and praised by her followers for posting semi-nude pictures of herself covered partly by a white towel. The post which now has a little over 18,000 comments of “lit”, “hot”, “egbami” a Yoruba word for “save me” to “you don’t need all this” was received with mixed feelings from both fans and colleagues alike.
From the post and its succeeding caption, it can be deduced that the artiste was not simply advertising her nudity but sending a deeper message to all her followers.
In August, the Afropop queen released her third studio album named Celia which she mentioned, using the hashtag in her caption. According to her, Celia was created for female lovers of afrobeat and celebrates powerful women. A song, inciting women to become more powerful and look to themselves for their own needs. Naming the album after her mom who she takes every opportunity to appreciate and celebrate, Celia is described as a memoir of an African woman. A woman free in her sexual impulses, driven in her pursuit of The Life and dodgedness to the many misogynistic barriers standing in her way. Tiwa Savage’s Celia, is unapologetic about her womanhood, asserting her female perspective into this hugely male-dominated space in unquestionable sonic style. The album is a sonic journey navigating double standards and gender dynamics in relationships, boosting one’s confidence and could be seen as the artiste being defiant of her conservative Nigerian audience.
The New York Times wrote, “Celia is an album of sleekly insinuating Afrobeats grooves that carry love songs and understated but purposeful messages of empowerment”.
In an interview with R&B NOW, she says, I want this album to celebrate women of colour, and women in general. Celia isn’t trying to replace the old African woman, she is an extension of her. Celia is that modern African woman who is well-versed in Western culture through her many travels but still wants to respect African values while adding what she’s learnt from her travels to her values.
Even with the introspective meaning behind the semi-nude pictures of Tiwa Savage, a large number of her fans, male and female alike, were displeased with the seemingly lack of maternal actions of the afropop queen and damned her soul to hell for the post while some others accused her of corrupting the younger generation, and some more called her nasty names such as shameless, slut and a host of other derogatory names. A good number of her enraged followers felt she was disgracing her African customs and culture while some were certain that this was just a ruse to revive her fading music career. Some of these displeased followers went as far as accusing her of setting a wrong example for her five years old son while others outright called her a bad mother.
This is coming just after recently revealing she attempted suicide twice while living in London.
“I want this album to celebrate women of color, and women in general. Celia isn’t trying to replace the old African woman, she is an extension of her.” – TIWA SAVAGE
Some of her fans who did celebrate her post did make comments objectifying her nudity instead of appreciating the liberating and empowering statement she was making through the post. Only a handful of her followers got the message of empowerment and feminine strength she was relaying through the post.
In her call with Sway’s, the artiste re-affirmed that the album, Celia was named after her Mom, her own symbol of powerful and strong women who taught her to never stop moving if success is to be achieved.
The album, Celia, according to the artiste tells the story of her unsuccessful relationships with men up to the present moment when she finally realizes that all she needed was herself which was captioned in her controversial Instagram post.