Tiwa Savage Discusses Identity Struggle and Afrobeats Momentum

Nigerian music star Tiwa Savage has opened up about her early struggles with identity as a young Black African girl living in London.

Speaking at the Unstoppable Africans event, the award-winning singer reflected on her journey and the evolution of Afrobeats, describing how the genre’s global success has helped redefine what it means to be proudly African.

Savage revealed that her experience growing up abroad often left her feeling disconnected from her roots.

“I remember growing up in London, and I was not happy being African,” she shared. “But now I’m so proud because of how big Afrobeats is growing.”

The “Somebody’s Son” crooner described Afrobeats as “the fastest-growing genre in the world”, emphasizing that the movement was built from the ground up without major backing.

READ MORE: 45-Yr Old Tiwa Savage Reveals Reason for Staying Celibate 

“We kind of created it with nothing, no support, no infrastructure, no real belief, even from our own people initially,” she said.

Addressing critics who once dismissed Afrobeats as a passing trend, Tiwa was firm that the genre’s momentum is only increasing.

“There was a conversation at one point that Afrobeats is going to have its fifteen minutes of fame and then fade away.

But we are still here. We are not slowing down. In fact, we are filling out stadiums and getting the biggest songs on the charts right now,” she said.

Savage also expressed pride in Africa’s growing global influence, citing the continent’s cultural and demographic strength.

“I don’t know how true this is, but apparently, one in every four Black persons is a Nigerian or an African,” she noted.

“We are not going anywhere. As much as they try to quiet us down, the music is not going anywhere. We are Africans, and we are unstoppable.”